Red Cross fun
games on April 20
Accra (Greater Accra) 11 April 2002 - Mr Ben Koufie Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has appealed to members of the National Juvenile Association (NJA) to join the crusade against the use of over aged players in Juvenile competitions.
Speaking at the congress of the NJA on Thursday, Mr Koufie said it is high time right things get done at the juvenile level so that the nation can boast of players who can play for National team for a along time. He urged all officials to stick to the right ages of players at the junior level adding, "officials of juvenile soccer must learn to be honest in all their endeavours in order to move Ghana football forward."
He said they must ensure the gradual movement of players in the various age categories to the national level adding that if young players were well developed at the grassroots they would enrich the premier league as well as the national team.
He said using over aged players at the juvenile competitions does not augur well for the development of football therefore "Ghanaians must learn to loose in order to win in future." He said it is better to use players with the right ages at the juvenile competitions and not winning than using players who are above such ages to win but cannot performed well in future.
Mr Koufie asked the officials to instil discipline at the juvenile level because if this was not done at that stage the young ones would not get a good foundation. He said the five-year development plan of the FA is aimed at developing football at the youth level by providing juvenile clubs with well-trained and qualified coaches.
He said by this process juvenile football in the country would be given a strong foundation and there would always be young and strong players to play for the national team. Since his resumption to office Mr Koufie has strongly advocated the use of appropriate ages in football competitions as a basis for his five-year development plan for Ghana football.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 April 2002 - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) said it was still waiting for FIFA's development officer to inspect the proposed Prampram Sports Academy Site as a prerequisite for releasing money for the Goal Project to take off. The World Governing Soccer body, FIFA, usually gives the Goal Project money to assist its affiliated associations in the development of their soccer facilities.
Mr Kofi Nsiah, General Secretary of the GFA told the GNA Sports in Accra on Thursday that last Monday, the association sent photographs and other documents on the Prampram site at the request of the Ivorian-based development officer, Sampson J. Kablan, to facilitate the early release of the money speculatively pecked beyond $200,000.
He said the GFA has completed all the necessary requirements, which have been endorsed by FIFA adding that the money would be released immediately Mr Kablan conducts the final inspection. The General Secretary could not say when the inspection would be conducted but said the association has been sending series of reminders to FIFA to facilitate the release of the money.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 11 April 2002 - This year's Ghana Red Cross Society Fun Games would be held at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra on Saturday, 20 April. Mr Kofi Akwaah, President of the society who announced this in Accra on Thursday, said 16 departments and companies are expected to take part in the one-day games involving soccer, tug-of-war and 110 by 4 relay.
He said the games dubbed ''Funtastic Games" aimed at raising funds to support the work of the society and is being jointly sponsored by State Insurance Company and Shell Ghana Limited. Mr Akwaah named the participants as Maersk Ghana Limited, Shell Ghana Limited, State Insurance Company, National Trust Holdings Company, Ecobank Ghana Limited and Unilever Ghana Limited.
Others are Dizengoff Ghana Limited, Social Security and National Insurance Trust, TV3 and Ghana Oil Company. The rest are Radio Gold, Joy FM, AFGO Ltd, Adom FM, Media Eleven and Top Radio.
Mr Akwaah said this is the eighth time the society is organising the games because games and fun have as a matter of history, been part of peace process and a relief for the depressed and the vulnerable. AFGO are the defending champions.
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