Sports
FA urged to halt football season
Coach of Women’s Premier League (WPL) side, Northern Ladies, Sumani Bashirudeen, has advocated for the cancellation of the football season in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, citing the lack of sponsorship and preparedness to return as the basis for his call.
“Coach Bash” as he is affectionately known, urged the FA and stakeholders to rather turn their focus on using the period to embark on a massive sponsorship drive to improve the various leagues.
“We have no sponsors for the league and yet we are clamouring for a return, fully aware of the financial strain we have to bear; I think this is misplaced. I would rather urge the FA to cancel the league and turn a laser-focus to getting sponsors to repackage the league to become financially attractive.
“Because the truth is whatever financial injection we are aiming for will most likely not be enough.”
He also expressed concern about the grave challenge coaches would be confronted with working with limited infrastructure should the green light be given for a resumption.
“Should the league resume, as coaches, we are going to have serious issues because we don’t have the structures like the Europeans do. We don’t have good training facilities and the prospect of testing everyone seems far-fetched. The FA should cancel the season and plan well for next season.”
Coach Bash highlighted how devastating COVID-19 has been on the women’s game and player’s development.
“Training the men is different from the women, when you train the men they adapt faster than the women.
“A lot of them are in the early stages of their development and therefore a four month break due to COVID-19 means that we have to take them back to cover previous areas which will delay their learning. Personally, I gave my team some personal training routine to guide their individual training but the women need special attention and so our programme for them has been greatly affected. Apart from the technical difficulties we are also bleeding financially since we camped most of the girls.”
His statements ties in with comments from WPL committee chairperson, Hillary Boaten who asserted that the female clubs were in deep financial crisis in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the lack of football activities was driving most of the ladies into promiscuous lifestyles.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Sports
Armwrestling: Immigration, Prisons meet African champions
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) in separate ceremonies have welcomed officers of both security institutions who recently returned from Abuja, Nigeria after participating in the 14th Africa Armwrestling Championship.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mr. Patience Baffoe Bonnie, and the leadership of the Service, were present to congratulate the champions, Daniel Acquah (four gold medals), Mabel Yeboah (four gold medals) and Henry Otoo (two silver, two bronze), on their impressive performances.
The champions presented their medals to the Director-General, and shared their experiences and insights with the top officials.
During the meeting, the Director-General of the GPS, Mrs Baffoe Bonnie, expressed her excitement about the potential benefits of sports for inmates.
She noted that sports could play a significant role in rehabilitation and pledged to support the development of armwrestling within the prisons service.
In a related development, the Comptroller-General of the GIS, CGI Samuel Basintale, commended his members – Edward Yamoah Asamoah (two gold medals), Blessed Abeka Nunoo (one gold, one silver, two bronze), Godwin Sackey (one gold, one silver) and referee Nii Otoo Larkyne, for the feat.
Mr Basintale promised to provide support for the development of armwrestling within the service, including training facilities, equipment, and sponsorship.
The African Armwrestling champions from the security services won a total of 20 medals out of Ghana’s 55 medal haul.
They expressed gratitude and promised to continue promoting the sport and inspiring others to take up armwrestling.
Mr Charles Osei Asibey, President for Ghana Armwrestling Federation, was thrilled by the promise and continuous collaborations and support for the development of armwrestling in Ghana by the security services.
—GNA
Sports
TTU to honour athletes at 2nd sports awards night
Takoradi Technical University (TTU) will tonight host its 2nd Sports Awards Night to honour outstanding athletes, teams, and contributors who have promoted the institution’s sporting reputation.
The event, which will take place at the Nicholas Aidoo Taylor Auditorium, will be chaired by Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun, with Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, as Guest of Honour.
Other dignitaries expected include Member of Parliament for Effia, Isaac Boamah-Nyarko, and Municipal Chief Executive for Effia-Kwesimintsim, Abdul Majeed Dokurgu.
TTU said the awards will celebrate a year marked by exceptional performances, record-breaking moments, and contributions that have boosted both the competitive spirit and institutional pride of the university.
The ceremony will be held under the theme, “Recognising Excellence in Scholarship and Sportsmanship.”
The university noted that it has become a powerhouse in university sports, winning back-to-back championships at the GHATUSA Games in Tamale and Cape Coast.
It attributed the success to integrating sports into academic life, introducing sports scholarships, building the TTU Sports Complex, providing strategic funding, and offering strong logistical support.
Director of Public Affairs and Secretary to the Sports and Recreation Committee, Joseph Mensah Oti-Asirifi, said the awards go beyond recognising individual winners, adding that they are also a tribute to the discipline, resilience, and unity that define TTU’s sporting culture.
He stated that every nominee is a champion whose efforts have brought pride to the university and enhanced its reputation on both national and continental stages.
The programme will feature two segments of award presentations, with categories covering football, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, tennis, handball, badminton, athletics, scrabble, and taekwondo, for both male and female divisions.
Nominees include Jane Membong in athletics, Hajara Ibrahim in basketball, Samuel Aidoo in football, and Prince Egyir in handball, as well as Papa Kwansa Baidoo, Prince Davies, and Ahmed Anas Salis.
Special awards will also be presented to individuals whose contributions have inspired the TTU community beyond the field of competition.
Chairman of the Sports and Recreation Committee, Joseph Danso, said the planning team has worked to ensure the event captures the spirit of sportsmanship, dedication, and unity that characterise TTU sports.
The university recalled that the inaugural edition honoured Raymond French, Sarah Quansah, and Rebecca Mba, setting a high standard for sporting recognition.
By: Jacob Aggrey
