Clubs championship to revolutionise in hockey
Goalkeeper Abdellah receives cash award from
FIFA
Accra (Greater Accra) 03 April 2002 - Maxwell Otoo of Benso Golf Club on Monday qualified to represent Ghana in this year's World Junior Golf Championship scheduled for Scotland in July when he returned 149 net to win the junior category of the Ghana Amateur Open Championship played at the Achimota Golf Course.
B. Arkoh was second with 152 net while Kwame Frimpong came third with 158 net. In the senior's division, Francis Asogba scored 221 gross to win the 70th annual Ghana Amateur Open Golf Championship. E.K. Henaku placed second with 222 gross, A.S. Ibrahim came third with 223 gross, J.A. Love was fourth with 223 gross while T.K. Agama took the fifth position with 226 gross and George Osei came sixth with 227 gross.
In the Ladies event, Horsh Morita came first with 237 gross, Mona Captan was second with 240 gross, Van Groningen came third with 246 gross, Grace Kokmladzei was fourth with 251 gross while Frolence Etwi-Barimah took the fifth position with 253 gross. Emos Korblah won the Professionals event with 289 gross, Victor Brave-Mensah placed second with 291 gross, Paul Dossey and Joseph Mawule tied on 294 gross to place third and fourth respectively while Baba Akologo took the fifth position with 295 gross.
The three-day 54-hole Scratch event opened to amateur and professional golfers from Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, attracted over 250 participants and was sponsored by Silver Star Auto Limited. Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, Minister for Youth and Sports in an address, said the government would do everything possible to ensure that the game is developed.
Mr Osei Kwaku praised the company for their sponsorship and called on other organisations and companies to help government to achieve its aim of popularising the lesser-known sports. Mr Mike Ezan, President of the Ghana Golf Association, also praised the company for single-handedly sponsoring the competition for the past seven years.
Mr Nouhad Kalmoni, Managing Director of Silver Star Auto Limited said he was happy that for the past seven years, the event has witnessed a remarkable improvement in organisation and quality of play. "It has been quite impressive, as younger people have developed interest in the game", he added.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 April 2002 - The African clubs hockey championship which will be hosted by Ghana from April 23 to 30 this year would revolutionise hockey in the country by creating awareness about the thrills and spills of the game. Mr Oko Nikoi Dzani, chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) said the tournament would provide Ghanaians the opportunity to witness top-level performance from the best players on the continent and whip up enthusiasm, which would engender mass participation in the sport.
He said hockey could provide its followers a lot of fun and respite and called on Ghanaians to patronise the tournament in order to make it a big success. On preparations towards the tournament, the chairman said Vector Development, a contracting firm, is undertaking renovation work at the National Hockey Pitch to update facilities and give it an international outlook.
He said the company would provide three new water closet toilets, changing and shower rooms, a kitchen, a bar and stands for spectators. Mr Dzani said the GHA is enjoying a lot of goodwill from the government and other corporate bodies, adding that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has taken over the responsibility to upgrade the Car Park as its contribution towards the championship.
He praised the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) the Bank of Ghana and Ghana National Fire Service for their support and called on other business entities to emulate them. At the National Hockey pitch, Mr Fred Amewode, site foreman of the contractors told the GNA Sports that work was progressing on schedule and would be completed early enough for the championship.
He said Vector Development has been given three weeks to finish their part of the contract and was optimistic that they would wind up by the April 18. Meanwhile Ghanaian teams participating in the tournament have intensified their training with the hope of being crowned African champions. Mr Emmanuel Ahadzi, coach of Fire Ladies who are one of Ghana's representatives in the female category said he has watched clips of their opponents and he is mapping out strategies to outwit them during the competition.
He said his players are very well conditioned and their aggressive play gives them an edge even against their more experienced opponents from Egypt and Kenya. Mr Ahadzi said he has decided to drill his squad on set pieces, particularly short corners since his players are swift on take off and would earn many of such chances. He asked Ghanaians to troop to the pitch to cheer them to victory because "that will be the only advantage we can enjoy for playing at home."
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Goalkeeper Abdellah receives cash award from
FIFA
Accra (Greater Accra) 03 April 2002 - Dawu Youngsters Goalkeeper, Sumaila Abdellah, on Wednesday received an amount of 5,000 dollars (about 38 million cedis) as his prize for winning FIFA's fair play award last year. The money was presented to Goalkeeper Abdellah by the Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Mr. Ben Koufie at a short ceremony on behalf of FIFA at the offices of the GFA.
Presenting the money Mr Koufie said the decision of FIFA to make the presentation aimed at inspiring and encouraging other footballers to emulate the goalkeeper. He said all sportsmen must learn from Abdellah and be ready to give a helping hand when the need arises.
Mr Koufie commended Abedi Ayew Pele for reminding FIFA of Abdellah's award adding that other award winners from European countries were presented with their prize monies long ago but the Ghanaian goalkeeper was forgotten until the intervention of Abedi Pele.
The GFA boss urged Abdellah to make a judicious use of the money to benefit him in future. Goalkeeper Abdellah expressed his appreciation to the GFA chairman and FIFA for appreciating his efforts. Sumaila Abdellah in December last year received a certificate at the FIFA awards night for winning the organisation's fair play award in Switzerland.
His award followed a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation he gave to a player of Hearts of Oak, Charles Taylor, when he collapsed during a league match at the Accra Sports Stadium.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 April 2002 - Agyeman Duah, a member of the 2000 African Club Champions squad of Accra Hearts of Oak is back to form after sustaining an injury last year. The prolific defender told the GNA Sports that he was preparing hard for this league session thereby putting to rest speculation that he has hang his boats for good.
He lamented his team’s exit from this years Champions league. The experience defender who played a crucial role in Hearts conquest of Africa in 2000 said all is not well with the defence set up of the club, which was exposed during the last African campaign.
Duah said Hearts are ready to win the league again this season for a six consecutive time. When quizzed about his current form, he said he has been training regularly without his team and attributed his fitness to the resurrection of Christ last Sunday.
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Knight promotions sign on three Ghanaian
boxers
Accra (Greater Accra) 03 April 2002 - Knight Promotions, a boxing promotion syndicate based in England, last Wednesday signed a three year managerial contract with three Ghanaian boxers. The three boxers are Anyeyei Laryea, National Bantamweight champion and first contender to the African Boxing Union title, Daniel Sackey, Super middleweight and Alfred Tetteh, a super welterweight.
Under the terms of the contract, the three boxers would be given monthly allowance in addition to health care while efforts would be made by the promoter Mr Vince Mc Bean manager of Knights to provide them with the necessary training kits. Knights Promotions would also give 10 per cent net profits of earnings of the boxers to their trainers any time they engage in any fight. The contracts are renewable after three years.
The African Boxing Union Cruiser Champion, Aloryi Moyoyo and Robert Kutsokey, are already in the camp of Knight promotions bringing the number of Ghanaian boxers in their camp to five.
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