Sports ministry is broke - Joe Aggrey
A vibrant youth policy will save our football - Koufie
Jones provides recipe for safe league
Limit number of international competitions- Brock
GJA condemns assault on Journalist
Hearts beat Olympiakos in friendly
Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
(A GNA feature by Rose Yankson)
Necessity, they say is the mother of invention and a nation which does not respect its heroes is not worth fighting for. If these sayings are true, then the nation is doing itself more harm than good so far as the senior female national team, the Black Queens are concerned.
A cursory look at the team's performance shows that, it is made up of talented players who just need a little push forward to transform them into international stars.
It is rather unfortunate that, a team that has made it to the World Cup should be made to suffer in such an un-likable manner.
Black Queens is on the verge of collapse as most of these skilful players are not only showing signs of rustiness but age is also catching fast on most of them.
One wonders why the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) has no standing plan for them like their Nigerian counterparts, which operate under a complete structure for women.
Not only do the Black Queens lack this privilege but they also seem not to be in the good books of their mother association, which has relegated the team to the background and only assembles them for international assignments and are soon forgotten after such tournaments until the need arises again.
These unfair treatments have demoralised most of the players who have resorted to travelling out of the country and engaging in other ventures.
Presently the GNA Sports has gathered that four of these players are already out of the country to seek greener pastures.
Enumerating some of their problems, veteran Alberta Sackey, the skipper of the team and a player with Ghatel Ladies Accra, recounted how only one set of jersey was used throughout their African Women's nations tournament held in South Africa last year and even the jersey had to be collected from soon after the competition was over.
She regretted the FA's inability to organise any international friendly matches for them, thereby forcing them to play in the rural areas with boys and yet they were expected to excel. Alberta said their allowances were always in arrears while they were expected to defeat all opposition before them.
She called for the restructuring of the entire women soccer committee under the GFA and suggested that, there should be a standing programme for the Queens to stop the team from total collapse.
" I think the present committee should be dissolved to pave way for people who have women's football at heart. Many things are done for the men who are yet to go to the world cup but we are sidelined, its totally unfair''.
She called for more international friendlies for the team, just as they have been doing for the other national teams.
It is worthy to note that, "the hen that lays the golden egg cannot be killed, so it is time the GFA stood up to its responsibilities and brought the team to its befitting position.
"The GAWSOC Gala competition played recently did not deserve the paltry some of 100 thousand cedis and two balls for the winner," she said, adding that the balls were yet to be delivered to the winners.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
Mr Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports said on Wednesday that his ministry needs assistance because it has almost exhausted its budgetary allocation for the year.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture when its members called on him to acquaint themselves with the state of affairs at the ministry, Mr Aggrey said members of the committee should forward the plight of his ministry to parliament for consideration.
He said if a nation invests in a proper sports policy, it stands to benefit in the long term because there will be fewer people to demand medical attention.
The Deputy Minister said the ministry of Youth and Sports, which is tasked with the implementation of youth empowerment programmes, would not be able to function accordingly if enough funds are not made available to it.
Mr Aggrey implored the Members of Parliament to visit the ministry and its departments and affiliates often to see the precarious state of affairs at the ministry.
The minister said he has found out that Ghana does no longer command respect in sports because there is no base for development.
He said, he was shocked by the avalanche of problems that exists at the Sports Ministry and regretted the low staff position of sporting associations, adding that there has not been any development plan to implement.
Mr Aggrey said the staff position of the National Sports Council would worsen if provisions in the annual budget are strictly adhered to because most of those working now are on contracts and if they are not renewed "then there will be nobody to do anything."
Responding to the deputy minister's appeal, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Chairman of the committee assured Mr Aggrey that the committee would forward his concerns to their colleagues in Parliament for deliberation.
He said they were concerned about developments at the ministry as they are aware that the Vice President who has oversight responsibility is very busy and a substantive minister is yet to be appointed.
Mr Bonsu said their visit was to afford them the opportunity to "fraternise, socialise and identify the problems the deputy minister might have been encountering.
The chairman described sports as "the vehicle that unites the nation" and pledged the unflinching support of members towards the realisation of the ministry's objectives.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
Mr Ben Koufie, a FIFA technical instructor and GFA chairmanship aspirant on the ticket of the government has said he has a blue print to redeem the falling standard of football in the country.
The technical instructor who has just returned from Japan where he did technical reports on the Confederation Cup for FIFA told the GNA that a conscientious youth development programme with long-term goals would be the ace to send Ghana football back on top.
Mr Koufie said stratified youth teams must be formed in every district with a resident coach attached to each district capital to groom the youth.
He said there should be Under 10, Under 12 and Under 15 categories, which should compete on district, regional and national levels during short school vacations, from where players would be selected to form the various juvenile national teams.
Mr Koufie said those selected for the national teams should go on close camping during the long vacation where they would be taught tactics, which is important to the national redemption.
He said there must also be psychological work on the youth teams to induce their total commitment when they wear the national colours since player attitude is one element, which can make or mar a team.
"There are numerous talents in this country and if we institute a youth policy and pursue it to its logical conclusion, we shall return to the apex and dominate for at least a decade before there is any serious threat."
Mr Koufie also advocated regular training programmes for our coaches in order to make them abreast with the dynamics of modern tactics and other demands of the game.
He said selection to all national teams must be done without fear or favour and in the supreme interest of the nation since national triumph is not savoured by a club or an ethnic group but by the entire nation.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, one of the clubs at the centre of the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium disaster said a responsible and responsive GFA is what is needed to see the league through without further disasters.
Speaking to the GNA after testifying before the Presidential Commission probing the disaster, Jones said the GFA must initiate various programmes to educate the masses on the dangers inherent in violence at the various league centres.
He said what the GFA has refused to do over the years is to convene consultative meetings with the clubs to find solutions to the rising spate of hooliganism that has been evident in the domestic league for quite some time now.
"We are all aware that some league centres are very dangerous terrains to thread on because of the attitude of the spectators there," he said.
Jones named Tamale, Nkawkaw, Sunyani and Dawu as centres that opposing teams dread very much because of the potential danger they pose to the lives of visiting players and their officials.
"Because of the inaction of the GFA to nip it in the bud, it has gradually crept to other parts of the country and it now poses a very grave danger to the national league."
In answer to a question, the coach said the clubs must create the necessary fora to educate their supporters on the rules of the game, especially the supremacy of the centre referee during matches because many fans think it is an obligation for him to uphold a decision of his assistants.
He said though the GFA has not lived up to expectation in securing the game, it would not be out of place for the teams to form safety watchdog committees among the various groups or chapters or circles they have to monitor the behaviour of fans at the stadiums.
Jones said, "this would lead to the identification of those who start trouble at match venues for possible ban or prosecution because once they start other people get infected and it spreads very fast."
The coach who was recently named African Coach of the year 2000 said though it is regrettable that many able bodied soccer fans lost their lives at a match involving Hearts and Kotoko, the incident must serve as a clarion call to the GFA to wake up to its responsibilities in order to save the game from the thaws of miscreants.
On the resumption of the league, Jones said the current of Hearts cannot be compared with others in the premiership and promised the supporters of the Phobians that Hearts would win the trophy as an appeasement to their supporters who died on May 9.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
Brigadier George Brock, Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) Wednesday, urged the Youth and Sports Ministry to limit participation in international competitions and redirect resources towards the provision of infrastructure.
He said for now, the country should focus on the Africa and World Cup qualifiers, the Davis Cup, World and Africa Athletics championships in order to conserve money to lay the foundation for sports development.
Brigadier Brock was briefing the parliamentary select committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, led by its chairman Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu in Accra on the NSC's action plan between now and 2004.
The meeting was at the instance of the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Joe Aggrey, to brief the select committee on plans and problems of the ministry and its dependent associations and departments which include the NSC, National Youth Council and the National Sports College, in Winneba.
Brigadier Brock said as part of the plans of the NSC, no other team apart from soccer should travel with more than six athletes in a bid to cut down on cost.
He said criteria for the selection of athletes in such disciplines, which includes boxing, should be based on track record and current form.
The Acting Chief Executive reiterated the need to strengthened the schools and colleges' competitions and the armed forces games, which hitherto was a breeding ground for talents.
He said Ghana, the one time shining star in Africa, is now a pale shadow of herself and called for a pragmatic approach to rejuvenate and revitalise sports in the country.
The Brigadier noted that sports is a potential tool for poverty alleviation and urged all district assemblies to devote part of their common fund to the development of sports in their areas, thereby providing jobs to the youth which would gradually help alleviate poverty.
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Tema (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
The Tema Branch of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has condemned the assault on a sports journalist while performing his officials duties at the Tema Sports Stadium, last Sunday.
The Journalist, Mr Ian Motey of the New Times Corporation was at the stadium to cover the fifth week Star Premier League between Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals and Sekondi Hasaacas when two security personnel of Liberty Professionals assaulted him.
Although Mr Motey produced his official identity card, which enabled him to enter the stadium, the Liberty Professionals security men refused him entry, insisting that he produced a stadium duty pass before he would be allowed in.
Mr Motey was then explaining to them that his identity card was enough to allow him to enter and in the process a security man identified as Mr Francis Bruce Thompson held him against the wall while his colleague rained blows on him until he was saved by onlookers.
The Journalist who received injuries on his fore head was rushed to the Tema General Hospital where he was treated and discharged.
In a statement, the Tema Branch of the GJA views this unfortunate development with serious concern, especially when the nation was recently hit with the death of 126 soccer fans at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The GJA further condemned the behaviour of some policemen on duty at the stadium that locked the gate leading to the inner perimeter, thus preventing Mr Motey from reaching his colleagues and for first aid.
The association, therefore, demand an unqualified apology from the management of Liberty Professional, adding that the club should pay all medical expenses of the journalist.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June 2001
Former Great Olympics player, Awuley Quaye Junior, who has just joined Hearts of Oak after an unsuccessful carrier in Spain, scored one and set up Laryea Kingston as Hearts beat division one campaigners A. C. Olympiakos 2-1 in an friendly at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday.
Olympiakos shot into the lead minutes after kick off through Abubarkar Awel while Awuley Quaye cancelled the lead before recess.
Both teams stepped up their game in the second half, but it Hearts who clinched the match winner two minutes from end of the game when Kingston connected Quaye's shot.
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