Ghana’s Table Tennis squad for Tunis stranded
Hearts play Okwawu, Liberty in friendlies
before 2nd round
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 July 2002 - The chances of Ghana's tennis team, the Golden rackets, of remaining in the Euro-Africa Zone two Davis Cup, is on the verge of suffering a big blow as one of its rising stars, Henry Adjei Darko, is playing a hide-and-seek with the team.
With only three days remaining for the play off between Ghana and Armenia to kick-start at the Accra Sports Stadium, attempts by the tennis officials to reach Darko has proved futile. Darko, who is on an ITF scholarship programme in Kenya, arrived in the country a couple of days ago for the tournament but surprisingly failed to join his other colleagues in training.
Coach David Churcher told the GNA Sports in Accra on Tuesday that he was informed about the player's arrival on Monday and tried to reach his parents without success. The coach said he had been informed that the boy trains at the Gulden Tulip court every morning hence he together with the Chairman of the Ghana Tennis Association (GTA) tried to "track" him but could not get him.
Coach Churcher said he therefore tasked Gunther Darkey, the country's number one seed to try and reach him since they were playmates. "I have just been told that the boy's mother said her son was suffering from malaria", the coach said. Asked what action the GTA would take if the boy fails to turn up, the coach said "we will still pursue him till Thursday when the draws will be made, then we will know either to maintain him or to scrap his name from the list."
Other members of the Ghanaian squad are veteran Frank Ofori, Kwasi Ahinkora, Fred Agyiri and Patrick Nortey. Ofori was expected to arrive last Monday but is yet to come.
Meanwhile, Gunther Darkey has expressed optimism about Ghana remaining in the Zone but said it would not be easy. "I know it's going to be tough but with the home support, we can scrape through", said Darkey who participated in the recent Wimbledon qualifier in the UK.
The Armenia's top seed is ranked 64 while Darkey is ranked 800 in the world but the Ghanaian player said "that does not really matter, its how best you play on the day that matters". Ghana is currently rankled fifth on the continent and 84 in the world and would want to use this tournament to improve on her ratings. Referee Anton Rens from South Africa arrived in the country last Monday for the 12-14 tournaments.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 July 2002 - The nine-member Table Tennis squad scheduled to leave Accra last Friday night to participate in the 15th Africa Seniors Cup in Tunisia are still in the country because officials could not secure a connecting flight from Milan to Tunis.
Coach Vincent Arhin told the GNA Sports in Accra on Tuesday that he was still trying hard to see if there could be light at the end of the tunnel. The weeklong tournament started last Monday and is expected to end on the Monday July 15. The team led by Mr Ebo Bartels, Chairman of the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), is made up of six players - three each in the male and female divisions, two coaches and the Chairman of the Association.
The players making the trip are Solomon Akunor, Courage Nanevie and Joseph Adjei who are billed to contest in the male division while Esther Lamptey, Beatrice Gyasi and Afua Oforiwaa will vie for honours in the female division.
Coach Arhin said it was not to late for the team, since there were several stages in the tournament. "I'm very optimistic that by the close of work on Wednesday, we should be out of the country to Tunis", coach Arhin told the GNA Sports.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 10 July 2002 - Champion club Accra Hearts of Oak, looking for their sixth consecutive league title, will honour two friendly matches before their epic clash with rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the commencement of the second round of the 2002 Premier League on 21 July.
A Hearts management source told Ghana Review International sports that on Sunday the Rainbows will lock horns with back to form Okwawu United at the Accra Sports Stadium, before attempting on Wednesday to unlock the myth surrounding matches between them and Liberty Professionals, which has made their clash always tough.
The source assured that Hearts will use the occasions to give their opponents severe thrashing, especially Liberty, and as result, are approaching the matches with all seriousness. All leading players of the club will as such be in action. The source hinted GRi Sports that Hearts will use the trials to shape their newly signed-ons into the team, notably Ishmael Addo, Emmanuel Osei Kuffuor, Togolese Farouk Coubaja and former Egypt El-Ahly star Fuseini Yakubu for possible inclusion in the Hearts line-up against Kotoko.
It said since the seven-point gap between the club and Kotoko, who are currently warming up in South Africa, does not call for complacency, and with a victory over Kotoko opening a 10-point gap, nothing would be left to chance.
The Hearts source however, urged the club’s numerous supporters and the red army of Asante Kotoko to comport themselves in a sporting manner when the two giants of Ghana soccer meet at the Accra Stadium in two weeks time. It said it is worthwhile for soccer fans to be mindful of the disaster that rocked the nation when the two sides met on 9 May last year. “Any unruly act by any group or individuals having a tendency to stir memories of what befell the nation last year would mean no lessons were learnt from that predicament,” the source stressed.
Meanwhile, both Liberty and Okwawu have assured their teeming fans of being the first club sides to dent the Phobians in the season, which they said, would come by way of Sunday and next Wednesday’s friendlies.
GRi…/
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