Accra (Greater Accra) 03 January 2002 - Work at the North Stand of the Accra Sports Stadium is likely to begin by next weekend.
The stand has remained closed for the past seven months following the May 9 disaster, which caused the death of 126 soccer fans during a league match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.
Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports on December 18, accompanied by two consultants, Akuffo and Associates and the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) inspected the stand.
According to Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC), it has received the drawing from Akuffo and Associates, which will be forwarded to the Greater Accra Regional Tender Board.
He said the Regional Tender Board would be responsible for the selection of the contractors who have expressed interest in the execution of the rehabilitation work. The work, which is mainly on the expansion of the stairways to ensure easy passage and accommodation of as many people as possible would also include re-fixing of seats at the stand.
Dr Owusu-Ansah noted that the work is expected to be completed before the champion of champions clash between Hearts and Kotoko at the Stadium.
He hinted that the NSC was in contact with sculpturists at the University College of Education Winneba (UCEW) and the College of Art at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to design a beautiful monument in honour of the departed souls of last year’s May 9 disaster.
The acting NSC boss stated that it is his outfit’s aim to erect a lasting monument at a conspicuous spot at the stadium to remember the lost soccer fans. “My management team believes in quality and it is for this reason that we want to put in place in a monument in the form of a bronze, which would last for generations.”
Such monument, Dr Owusu-Ansah added will be completed before May 9 this year, and Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko will play a special match to commission it.
Dr Owusu-Ansah who was the former deputy chief executive of the council said he has always cherished the aspiration of changing the face of the NSC and this he believed would be achieved with good teamwork and effective leadership.
GRi…/
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Lome (Togo) 03 January 2002 - Following is the list of Togolese players selected to join the national football team that will compete in the finals of the African Cup of Nations to be held in Mali from 19 January to 10 February 2002.
1 - Agassa Kossi (Africa Sport - Abidjan)
2 - Salifou Safiou (ASKO de Kara - Togo)
3 - Tchagnirou Ouronimini (Samassi de Sokode - Togo)
4 - Abalo Dosseh (Amiens D2 France)
5 - Akoto Eric (Stum Gaz D1 Austria)
6 - Tchangai Masamaesso (D3 Italy)
7 - Olympio Koffi (La Rochelle, France)
8 - Moumouni Djabarou (Delemont D2 Italy)
9 - Senaya Yao (Delemont D2 Italy)
10 - Maman Gafarou (Gomido of Kpalime - Togo)
11 - Agbobli Amavi (Agaza of Lome - Togo)
12 - Atte - Odeyi Zanzan (JST - Niger)
13 - Ouadja Lantame (FC - Concordia D2 Switzerland)
14 - Assignon Komlan (Creteil - D2 France)
15 - Coubadja Kader (Parme D1 Italy)
16 - Dogbe Michel (Grenoble D2 France)
17 - Noutsoudjin Kossi (ASEC Abidjan)
18 - Djima Oyawole (La Gantoise D1 Belgium)
19 - Dote Jerome (Gomido of Kpalime - Togo)
20 - Salifou Moustapha (Modele of Lome - Togo)
21 - Azawonou Kaka (FC Bale D1 Switzerland)
22 - Yedibahoma Espoir (Liberty Porfessionnals D1 Ghana
23 - Adebayor Sheyi Emmanuel (Metz D1 France)
24 - Olufade Adekami (Lille D1 France)
25 - Dossevi Thomas (Chateauroux D2 France)
The 26th player will be selected from among three players after the acclimatisation training to be held in Niamey, Niger from 4 January to 12 January.
These are Alassani Yacoubou, Alassane Omourou and Djiwa Alassane all of whom are professionals based in Germany.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 January 2002 - Seventeen players have been selected to form the national badminton team to compete in the All African Senior ranking tournament scheduled for Morocco in August.
Mr Andrew A. Ocloo, General Secretary of the Badminton Association of Ghana (BAG) told the GNA Sports Desk in Accra on Wednesday that the selection was made after a recent national badminton competition organised in Accra by the BAG.
He said in all 52 players from Accra, Tema, Takoradi, and Koforidua took part in the competition. Mr Ocloo said the association intends to organise more competitions for the players before selecting a final team of six to represent the country in all categories at the Moroccan tournament, which would also serve as a preparatory grounds for the Commonwealth Games slated for Manchester, UK.
The players making the provisional squad are Theresa Tetteh, Mary Enoo, Victoria Ackon, Mary Twumwaa, Jennifer Ametewey, Issah Mohamed, Noah Ayim, and Emmanuel Williams.
The rest are Micheal Cudjoe, Anthony Arthur, Richmond Odonkor, Michael Sam, Owusu Martin, Charles Mensah, George Yeboah, A.B. Rockson, and Paul Baah.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 03 January 2002 - Alex Akwafo, Ghana's ace backward cyclist has called on the Ghana Cycling Association (GCA) and the National Sports Council (NSC) to lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) to make the event an Olympic Sport.
In an interview with the GNA Sports on Thursday, the unconventional cyclist said he believes he would become a world and Olympic champion if the sport gains international acceptability.
He said backward cycling could be an interesting segment of association cycling which has gained prominence in Europe and attracts a lot of sponsorship that facilitate many competitions.
Akwafo said a sporting discipline like swimming has various styles such as the backstroke and the butterfly, which are not conventional but have been accepted and competed for in international competitions.
"I invented this type of riding and I shall be delighted if the GCA and the NSC could forward it to the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa for its acceptance as an innovative cycling discipline which must be included in events at international competitions."
The backward cyclist said he believes the excitement his skills generate among the Ghanaian sporting public is a testimony that backward cycling could gain international recognition if the correct moves are made.
He said the GOC could be persuaded by the NSC to forward the discipline to the IOC and lobby them to accept it as an event at the Olympic Games adding, "the SCSA can also put pressure on the international bodies to accept it."
Speaking on how he took to backward cycling, Akwafo said he dreamt three times in 1988 that he was riding a bicycle backward and was convinced after the third dream that it could be possible to do so.
He said based on his conviction, he went into a bush near Big Ada with a bicycle and practised on a footpath for three hours. "After three hours I felt very comfortable with riding backwards and decided to make it my profession but ever since that time, there has not been any competition for me to showcase my skills.
"It is even difficult for me to earn a living but I have resolved not to give it up because I believe it would one day be an international sport if the right actions are taken by the GCA, the NSC, and the GOC or even the Ministry of Youth and Sports."
Akwafo said he has survived all this while through the benevolence of Mr William Mensah, one of his admirers and called on the NSC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to give him a job to enable him to concentrate on his training, while waiting to compete and win laurels for Ghana in the future.
GRi…/
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