GFA in talks with Guinness over league sponsorship
Dan Oppong recovers, likely to play in Mali
Eastern Regional Athletics Open Championship ends at Koforidua
Accra (Greater Accra) March 14, GNA - The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has commenced high-level discussions with Guinness Ghana Limited for the sponsorship of this year's premier league, Mr Ben Koufie Chairman of the GFA said in Accra on Thursday. He said apart from Guinness, the GFA is also holding similar talks with other companies to save the league from "collapsing."
Mr Koufie said this when the company presented a cheque for 165 million cedis to the GFA towards this weekend's gala, which is to usher in the 2002 league season. "If you open the door, it is only fair that you close it too", Mr Koufie told the media, inferring that since Guinness would usher in the soccer season it would be proper if they sponsor the league as well.
Ghana Brewery Limited, withdrew its 800 million-cedis sponsorship from the GFA due to dwindling profit. Be Koufie said Guinness has been the oldest sponsor of the GFA and said it would be appropriate if they took over the league.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Champion Club Accra Hearts of Oak on Thursday, left Accra for Ho to continue their preparation towards the Second leg of their African Cup club Championship against Stade Malien in Mali.
The team left Accra around 5.00 pm after the afternoon's training session at the Accra Sports Stadium and would camp at Ho till they enplane to Mali next week. After the pulsating 1-1 draw with the Malian opponents at the Accra Sports Stadium last Sunday, training schedule was changed from between 4 pm - 6 pm to 1 pm – 4 pm daily because of the hot climate in Mali.
Mr Herbert Addo the new Technical Director of the club told the GNA Sports that, the hot climate in Mali is similar to that of Ho and this would help them to acclimatise well for the second leg. He said the players are not having enough concentration when training in Accra, hence the decision to move the team to Ho to ensure that the players are put in the right frame of mind.
Mr Addo expressed confidence that the team is capable of causing surprise in Mali as they had intensified their preparation towards the second leg. The club, first shifted its training from their traditional training grounds to the Accra Sports Stadium just after their encounter with the Malians recently but had to change to Ho after training once at the Stadium.
In another development, Yaw Amankwah Mireku, one of the key defenders in the team has reported for training after his long absence from the team. Amankwah, who started training on Thursday afternoon told GNA Sports that he was convinced by the Management Board of the team to start training even though he has not settled his problem with the team.
He however expressed the hope that every problem would be solved in due course as they prepare to face Stade Malien in Mali next Sunday. Amankwah refused to attend training when he returned from the just ended African Cup of Nations in Mali where he featured for the Black Stars, due to contractual problems he had with the management.
He was a regular player in the team, which won the African Cup Champions League in the year 2000 for the first time for Hearts and remained one of the consistent players for the team for the past four years. Amankwah's call up to the team is part of the management's effort to beef up the team before they travel to Mali as he did not feature in the first leg.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Dan Oppong, one of Hearts of Oak's strong rear guards who missed the first leg 1/16 stage match of the CAF Champions League between his club and Stade Malien due to an injury, is now likely to feature in the return leg in Mali next Sunday.
Oppong has recovered from the injury he sustained on March 6, in the final match of the GHALCA Top Four between Accra Hearts of Oak and Liberty Professionals at the Accra Sports Stadium. When the GNA Sports visited the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, the player who travelled to Sunyani for herbal treatment had joined his colleagues for a physical exercise.
He told the GNA that that he was fit and ready to play. "I can now run and pray that I would recover fully for the next encounter in Mali." Oppong said he was disappointed with the one all score line in the first leg adding that Hearts was capable of surprising the Malians next Sunday.
He said, morale was high in camp and his colleagues were all gearing up for the next battle. The player urged all Hearts fans to rally behind the club and continue to pray for them because the task ahead will be tough. Dan Oppong joined Hearts from Brong Ahafo United last season and has become one of the regular defenders of the club.
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12th Annual Central athletic championship
opens
Cape Coast (Central Region) 15 March 2002 - The Central Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze on Thursday asked students to work hard to reach the heights of great sportsmen in the country. He regretted that most of our young sportsmen and women do not take their basic or elementary training seriously and when the desired results are not attained they tend to apportion blame on others.
These were contained in an address read on his behalf at the opening of the 12th annual Central Regional athletic championship at the regional schools and colleges park at Adisadel, Cape Coast Fifty senior secondary schools are participating in the two-day athletics competition. He told the athletes that good performances and good character are bedfellows and are inseparable and urged them not to get involved in drugs and alcoholism since they are harmful to their health.
Mr Edumadze who was not happy with the progress of work on the construction of the regional schools and colleges park appealed to heads of schools to ensure that the park fees approved by the Ghana Education Service are paid to ensure early completion of work on the park. Mr Muniru Arafat Nuhu, Cape Coast municipal chief executive, who deputised for the regional minister later declared the competition opened.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Ghana would host the sixth stage of the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee baton relay on Saturday, March 30. A release from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London made available to the GNA Sports said the jubilee baton relay is part of Her Majesty's attempt to foster "a feeling of inclusion and unity in the commonwealth."
The baton, which left the Buckingham Palace on March 11 on its international route would take 50 days to pass through 22 Commonwealth countries before returning to the United Kingdom for the final leg. The relay would eventually end its exciting travels in the City of Manchester Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 17th Commonwealth Games on July 25, where Her Majesty would read a message to the watching Commonwealth.
Her Majesty's message would be held in an aluminium capsule, inserted into the top of the baton, which would be released by pressing down and turning a cap. The relay's futuristic baton is made of "machined aluminium" and has a conductive handle, which has sensors to detect and monitor the pulse rate of those who are lucky to handle it. From Ghana the baton would go through six other African countries including Nigeria, South Africa and war ravaged Sierra Leone before ending its global leg in Malta on June 1.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - Wonder Tackie, number one contender to the IBF, WBA and WBC unification bout has predicted a fifth round knockout over Kostya Tszyu, undisputed World Super Light Weight Champion from Australia in their title fight scheduled for Saturday, May 18, at Las Vegas, USA.
In an interview with the GNA Sports, Tackie who is currently the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Inter Continental Super Lightweight Champion said he has studied tapes of Tszyu and feels the Australian style of fighting suits him. He said he would use his age and strength to finish the fight in the fifth round.
The 32 year-old champion, originally from Russia but fights under the flag of his adopted nation, Australia holds the World Boxing Council (WBC), the IBF and the World Boxing Authority (WBA) Super Light Weight titles with a record 27-26-1, 23 by way of knockouts. Wonder who was optimistic of his chances of upstaging the champion said so far, preparations have been on track.
The Ghanaian boxer is under the supervision of his coaches, Charles Takyi Commey and Oko Odamtey, who coached Ike Quartey, former WBA welterweight champion. "I am going into this fight with my everything and I do not see him (Tszyu) standing in my way to achieving this feat," Tackie who is scheduled to leave for the States on Monday said.
"He would not be fighting only me but against the entire people of Ghana who have been waiting anxiously for a world title since the exit of Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey", Tackie told the GNA Sports. Tackie, 27, who is based in the USA and also holds the North America Boxing Federation (NABF) Super lightweight title has an enviable record of 26-24-2, 15 by way of knockout. While in Ghana, Tackie was the National, West African and African Lightweight Champion.
Meanwhile, Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports has pledged government support to Wonder Tackie in his up-coming Super lightweight bout against Tszyu. The Minister said this when the boxer together with officials of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) called on him at his offices in Accra for talks before Tackie leaves for the States on Monday.
Mr Osei-Kwaku said it was heart warming to see another boxer anxious to fill the vacuum caused by Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey and said that government would do everything possible to help Tackie reclaim Ghana's lost glory. He asked the boxer to take inspiration from the nation's flag, a symbol of hope and wished Ghanaians support, prayers and good will for him. The minister said as a representative of the entire nation in the ring, the country would be looking up to him to bring the belt to Ghana.
In related development, Mr Michael Tetteh, Manager of Tackie, predicted a round eighth knock-out when the GNA Sports caught up with him. He was of the view that haven gone through the necessary training, it would only be fair to take out the defending Russian born but Australia-based Champion Kostya Tszyu in the 8th round. He expressed optimism that the title would come to the country at all cost.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March 2002 - The Ghana Boxing Authority is anxiously waiting for ¢100 million promised it by the Ministry of Youth and Sports for work on the Accra International Gymnasium and Hall of Fame Complex. Speaking to GNA Sports, Moses Foh Amoaning, second vice chairman of the GBA said the project, which would be undertaken jointly with Accra Metropolitan Assembly is yet to take off due to financial constraints.
He said the GBA has already formed an eight-member committee headed by Mr Solomon Ofei Darko, Accra Metropolitan Assembly's (AMA) Chief Executive and would be soon inaugurated by the Minister of Youth and Sports for them to start work.
"At the moment the architectural drawings are ready and in conjunction with the AMA, we have been able to identify the site for the project. "The project is within the range of three billion cedis and additional funding would be sought through cooperate syndication. The project when completed would be self financing since it would have stores that would be let out in addition to revenue that would accrue from user fees to be paid by boxers."
Mr Foh Amoaning said the project which is an essential part of the GBA long term plan to produce world beaters in many ranks would need to get off the blocks as early as possible.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 15 March 2002 - The first Eastern Regional Athletics Open Championship ended at Koforidua at the week-end with Alex Qyarmye winning the sprint double in the men's category. Qyarmye won the 100 metres in 11.41 seconds, beating Michael Osei Wusu and Selassi Adetu who clocked 11.42 seconds and 11.94 seconds respectively to place second and third.
In the 200 metres race Qyarmye breasted the tape in 23.76 seconds to place first and was followed by Adu Agyemang in second position with a time of 23.77 seconds while Samuel K. Boateng was third with a time of 23.81 seconds. Samuel Boateng won the 400 metres race with a time of 52.99 seconds. Philip Antwi came second with a time of 54.15 seconds and Kofi Gyan came third with 54.62 seconds.
In the 800 metres race, Fuseni Alhassan won with a time of 2:09:34 seconds. Spencer Asem came second with a time of 2:19:70 seconds and Christian Balawi came third in 2:14:80 seconds. The 1500 metres race was won by Emmanuel Danquah who returned a time of 4:32:68 seconds while Dankwa Boampong came second with a time of 4:34:38 seconds and Agyepong Mensah came third with a time of 4:37:38 seconds.
Other events competed for in the men's division included 4 x 400 metres, Javelin and long Jump. In the female division, Theresa Koomson won the 100 metres race with a time of 13.65 seconds. Sera Kwakye followed in second position with a time of 14.52 seconds and Philomina Abeka came third with a time of 14.68 seconds. Sheila Ansah won the 200 metres race with a time of 31.14 seconds, Sarah Asafo Adjei was second in 31.36 seconds and Philomina Abeka came third, clocking 31.86 seconds.
In the 400 metres race, Comfort Abugri Donkor came first with a time of 1:11:70 seconds, beating Salamatu Yusif (1:14:17) and Victoria Teye (1:15:17) to second and third positions respectively. Dorcas Seruah won the 800 metres race with a time of 2:33:22 seconds, Mary Okyere came second with a time of 2:52:92 seconds and Adu Hemang Kezie came third with a time of 2:59:02 seconds.
Theresa Koomson leapt 4.66 metres to win the long jump. Elizabeth Agyemang jumped 4.08 metres to place second while Doris Adjei jumped 3.88 metres to come third. In all 115 people, mostly students took part in the championship. Commenting on the performance of the athletes, Mr Ekow Wilson, Eastern Regional Athletics coach described the general performance of the competitors as "good for school level competition." He said the Regional Athletics Association would organise more of such activities to help raise the standard of athletics in the region.
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