Kotoko to play ASEC, ASFA Yennega in anniversary friendlies
Nestle Launches 2000 Milo Marathon
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 May 2000
Kumasi Asante Kotoko football
club, play host to one of their bitterest rivals, ASEC Mimosa of Cote d'Ivoire
and Malian club ASFA Yennega, in May and June respectively as part of their
65th anniversary celebration.
Mr Kwame Amoah Bosompem, Accra
Representative of the Club, said at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday
that both clubs have agreed to honour the matches, which are yet to be
sanctioned by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
He said a planning committee would
be inaugurated next week, to plan the activities of Kotoko, adding that plans
are afoot to develop a parcel of land, donated by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,
Asantehene and Chief Patron of the club at Kwamo into a Sports Complex to be
called "Kotoko City."
As a first step, a group of
experts from Germany are expected in the country soon, to begin a feasibility
study and announced that the card A of embattled player, Stephen Oduro, a
former player of Real Tamale United, was released on Tuesday evening by Obuasi
Goldfields to his former club.
"We are hoping that RTU will
comply with the instructions of the Player Status Committee of the GFA not to
put any impediment in the immediate release of the player's card to Kotoko, the
team of his choice," he said.
On the rumour that RTU are to add
an extra 15 to 20 million cedis to the 80 million cedis paid by Kotoko, he said
"we have not received any official word to that effect."
Kotoko at the start of the season,
entered into a gentleman's agreement with RTU for the services of Oduro for 60
million cedis after the Northern Club had rejected an initial 40 million cedis.
But unknown to Kotoko, Goldfields had earlier bought the player for 60 million
cedis and had his card A in their possession.
The issue was later referred to
the Player Status Committee following Oduro's stated intention to play for
Kotoko. The committee ruled that RTU were to refund the 60 million cedis
collected from Goldfields with interest and any other expenses that the mining
club might have incurred during the transaction.
Goldfields subsequently, submitted
a 35.2 million-cedi expenditure, which was later reviewed to 20 million cedis
by the Committee.
Reacting to the case of goalkeeper
Osei Boateng, the Accra Representative said, chairman of the player's former
club (Accra Great Olympics), Mr Ade Coker, is adamant on releasing the player.
GRi./
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 May 2000
Nestle Ghana Limited is to spend 350 million cedis on this year's Milo Marathon event. This represents 350 per cent increase on the amount expended last year, Mr. Andre Porchet, Managing Director of the company, said at the launching of the 2000 edition of the race at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday. The event has been expanded to include all the regions.
According to the programme released by Nestle, there will be four regional under-15 races for Junior Secondary Schools under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.
The Central and Western Regions' competition is slated for Cape Coast on May 20, while Koforidua hosts Eastern and Volta regions on July 29. Northern, Upper East and Upper West meet at Tamale on August 19 and Ashanti and Brong Ahafo take their turn on September nine.
The first three winners of the regional races qualify to participate in the grand finale that will take place in Accra on October 28. Winners will receive bursaries ranging between 100,000 cedis and 200,000 cedis in addition to various Milo Products.
Mr. Porchet pledged donations of personal computers to the schools which would win the first three places in both the boys and girls categories in the national final Also at the national level, junior winners will receive prizes ranging from 200,000 cedis to 600,000 cedis and other Milo products.
The first three winners in the senior category will receive sums of money ranging from 500,000 cedis to One million cedis.
In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Enoch T. Mensah, commended Nestle Ghana Limited for widening its sponsorship deal to the regions, saying the gesture is in fulfilment of his ministry's objective to discover athletes at young ages for grooming.
GRi../