Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003 - The National Zone 3 sub-Middle League is now set to kick-off,
following the withdrawal of all protest cases pending before the Appeals
Committee of the Ghana Football Association including one by Tudu Mighty Jets.
A statement signed by
James Oyedeji, General Manger of Tudu Mighty Jets, said the decision to
withdraw their case is to enable the
GFA to commence with the Zone Three Sub-Middle league with or without Mighty
Jets.
The statement added
that it is illogical to operate on two front lines; the Appeals Committee of
the GFA and the Appeals Court. Oyedeji told the GNA sports that the club
withdrew the cases because the playing body have resolved to play in any soccer
division be it the first, second or the sub middle league.
He said there is the
need for the management of the club to respect the views of the playing body
hence their decision to back out of the cases. It would be recalled that Mighty
Jets qualified for the sub-Middle League after the novelty Division One League
but were relegated to the Second Division when they lost all their points
through series of protests against them by other clubs.
This situation
stalled the commencement of the Zone Three Sub-Middle League even though the
zones One and Two have completed their competitions with Yeji Stars, Brokyempem
and Ebuasua Dwarfs qualifying for the nation middle league. The way is now
clear the national middle league.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003 - Ghana has been mandated by the African Boxing Confederation
(ABC) to host the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Three boxing
elimination series after Niger, the original hosts had pulled out.
Niger gave
disbandment of their Amateur Boxing Authority by the ABC and financial problems
as reasons for the pull out. Addressing a press conference in Accra on
Wednesday, Eddie Duplan, and President of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Authority
(GABA) said Ghana stepped in to host the event when it became apparent that
Liberia who were given the option to host it would not be capable.
Duplan, who doubles
as the President of the SCSA zone Three and the Vice President of the ABC said
he decided to accept hosting the event to rescue the competition and to save
Ghana from the problem of finding the much needed foreign exchange for participation
since it would be cheaper to host than to travel with a contingent of sixteen
boxers outside the country.
The competition is
scheduled to start on 30 March to 5 April at the fore court of the Accra Sports
Stadium. It would serve as elimination for the African Boxing Championships
scheduled for Cameroon from 9 to 18 May where only gold and silver medallist
would be allowed to compete.
He said so far three
countries have confirmed their participation - Togo, Cote D'Ivoire and Burkina
Faso - while Niger and Liberia have already communicated their inability to
participate. "We have not heard anything from Nigeria even though we have
tried all we could; but there is a place for them even if they turn up at the
last minute".
Duplan said the
contingents are expected in Accra on the Sunday 30 March. They would be housed
at the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) village. He said the
real competition would start with the opening ceremony on Tuesday April 1,
followed by preliminary rounds and would run everyday till the finals on
Saturday 5 April.
Duplan said scoring
for the tournament would be on manual basis since visiting officials are not
familiar with the computerised scoring system.
On preparations of
the Black Bombers, he said the team had been on non-residential camping since
November last year but have since 6 January moved into residential camping.
"Moral in camp is very high and from the level of preparation the boys
would definitely bring glory to the nation at the end of the competition"
He said the GABA has
secured a ¢20m sponsorship from Nescafe and is in the final stages of
negotiations with Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Enterprise Insurance and
Vanguard Insurance for further sponsorship.
Duplan said the GABA
would soon meet with Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports to solicit
government help for the organisation of the competition.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003 - Napoleon Tagoe, the proprietor of Willpower Boxing Gym at James
Town in Accra has predicted that he would produce at least four world champions
from his stable in the near future.
Speaking to the GNA
Sports on Wednesday, the former WBC rated super middleweight boxer said he has
been able to pluck some "hard guys from the streets and away from
crime" into the gym and vowed to groom them into world-beaters.
Tagoe was
particularly impressed by the qualities of welterweight, Solomon Tetteh who he
described as "strong as steel, as aggressive as a wounded lion and as
brave as a warrior." He said there are many hard guys in the cities who
are cast for boxing, but do not have the opportunity to train because of the
dearth of training facilities and called on the central government and the
Metropolitan Assembly to construct recreational centres for the youth.
"It is our goal
to add a 'night school to the gym so that we could teach the boxers to read and
write and raise their profile and confidence when they travel out for
competition and we would appreciate if the Metropolitan Assembly and or the
Member of Parliament would come to and partner us in this direction."
The former boxer said
Ghana should take a cue from South Africa, which had provided many recreational
centres to offer the unemployed youth an alternative enticement to crime,
adding that "the move is reducing the crime rate in South Africa and they
are producing good sportsmen including three world boxing champions."
"Corrie Sanders
who knocked out Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine for the World Boxing Organisation
heavyweight title a fortnight ago is just another example of the South African
system." He said he has decided to use boxing for the economic
emancipation of the youth of the country at large and Odododiodo Constituency
in particular, by producing world champions who would earn mega bucks and be
able to set up businesses to absorb the unemployed.
The trainer said
Ghana has the potential of boosting her tourism through boxing if quality
boxers are produced, because lovers of the sport worldwide would throng the
country to watch fights or visit some gyms where such boxers are baked.
"We can institute an annual boxing carnival for amateur and professional
boxers, lasting a whole week and this could attract a lot of patronage if it is
well done, adding that it could be more attractive than some of the festivals
that are on tourism calendar."
Tagoe advised boxing
trainers in the country to endeavour to teach the correct techniques and guide
their boxers to peak at the correct time for fights, adding that some boxers
over-train and lose their strength before fights, while others go into the ring
without mastering the art.
He implored those in
charge of selection into the national boxing team, the Black Bombers to visit
many gyms and select boxers who have the cutting edge so that Ghana boxing
would see an accelerated revival.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
27 March 2003 - The women national team, the Black Queens, would break camp on
Thursday March 27, to join their
respective teams for the Greater Accra Women Soccer Association (GASOWC) gala
slated for Saturday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The break is to allow
players of the participating clubs to beef up their teams in the national gala,
which has sixteen teams vying for honours. The Queens who has been in camp for
about one month would return to camping at their base in Winneba on Monday 31
March.
Meanwhile, the
pairing for the gala which was released on Wednesday has Dansoman Ladies and
newly inaugurated Ghatel Ladies Koforidua playing the first game of the day.
Defending champions
Accra Ghatel Ladies, would open their defence against the Great Mawuena Ladies
for the second game while Tesano Ladies sort it out with Peki Ladies. Delorm
Ladies meet Tema Bluna Ladies, Comsport Ladies clash with Ashiaman Ladies while Nungua Ladies meets
Post Ladies in the rest of the pairing.
Ghatel Ladies
Takoride, and Ghatel Sunyani meet in an all sisters affair. Last years
finalist, La ladies who had a stand by would meet the winner of the game
involving Dansoman Ladies and Ghatel Koforidua.
GRi…/
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