Sports
Kudos, Akpokavie, Okraku
Exactly a week today, the hard work of two sports personalities paid off in grand style as both begun new journeys in higher offices in their respective careers.
Mr Richard Kofi Akpokavie was voted into office as the new President of the Ghana Olympic Committee after a landslide victory over Michael Odum Aggrey at the Committee’s Elective Congress last Saturday.
It marked a return to mainstream administration of the GOC, having served as General Secretary in the last term of Prof. Francis Dodoo’s administration and the first term of Ben Nunoo Mensah’s tenure.
Few metres away from the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) where the Congress was held was the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City where Ghana Football Association (GFA) capo, Kurt Simeon-Okraku was appointed as 2nd Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Indeed, it was a reward for hard work having championed developmental projects in his homeland Ghana and the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone B.
Without doubt, this must be a period for every Ghanaian sports fanatic to be happy.
Going by the popular adage that, a prophet is not recognized in his own home, Okraku is on record to be one of the fiercely criticized FA presidents, being taken on failures with national teams, alleged corrupt practices and many others.
But as stated in an earlier piece, the position of the critics have clouded the little gains he has chalked like the development of academies, the improvement in women’s football and projects at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence (GSCE).
It can certainly not be true that the Ghana FA President is not doing anything right yet kept gaining international recognition. At least, the ‘Catch Them Young’ refereeing policy is one a lot of countries have eyed.
There may be something hidden the critics must find; but that is not to suggest he is a saint or a perfectionist.
Mr Akpokavie’s election will also breathe new life into the GOC, according to some of the delegates that were part of the process.
That optimism, perhaps may be coming from his strong resolve to empower women in the sector to rise up and occupy leadership positions, give athletes a voice on the GOC executive and Congress.
His biggest ambition has been the call for an introduction of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism in the administration of sports in the country to curb or reduce the number of sports cases at the traditional courts.
When this is made mandatory, it would force litigants to exhaust the dispute resolution options at the federations and the GOC, making the court option unattractive and the last option.
This is no doubt a way to go to make sports administration free of associated troubles that hinders its growth and development.
Akpokavie and Okraku have no doubt made Ghana proud but must also know that when the cheers die down, every step they take would be carefully scrutinised.
The new roles would come with new challenges but their ability to weather those storms is what would define their readiness to lead the new sports revolution
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
Follow official procedures when making donations to the club – Hearts of Oak to fans
Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club has reminded its supporters and well-wishers to follow official procedures when making donations to the club.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the club said it appreciates the continuous support shown by individuals and groups toward its teams, including the Senior Boys Team, Auroras, Oak Ladies and Royal Oaks.
However, management expressed concern over unsolicited donations and public fundraising activities outside the club’s structures.
It noted that while goodwill is welcome, all forms of support must be routed through the Supporter Liaison Office at the club’s secretariat.
According to the statement, the welfare of the teams is the responsibility of management, and any attempt to bypass established protocols undermines transparency and accountability.
The club stressed that donations not channeled through the official process would not be accepted by team officials or coaching staff.
Hearts of Oak assured supporters that it remains committed to building a united club culture based on professionalism, discipline and respect.
It also encouraged stakeholders to work with management to uphold the dignity of the club.
The club urged the public to contact the Supporter Liaison Office through the secretariat for inquiries and support,
By: Jacob Aggey
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
