The National female hockey team, Black Sticks ladies left the shores of Ghana on Monday to compete in the Africa qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The team, made of 18 top players were drawn from the Greater Accra Hockey League with most of them representing the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Army, Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service.

The ladies would be keen to overcome the odds as they face Namibia, Kenya, and Zambia in Pool B of the qualifiers set for October 29 to November 05.

Their last appearance at the international level was the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations where Ghana grabbed a silver medal after finishing second place.

The Black Sticks Ladies would be hoping for better fortunes than in 2019 when they finished second at the 2021 Olympics qualifiers in Namibia.

The team of 18 players comprises Boye Abigail and Ampem Darkoa Mavis as goalkeepers while Sulemana Adizatu, Berko Mavis Boatemaa, Acquah Juwaila, Maanyembim Brenya serve as defenders.

The likes of Amoako Cecilia, Coffie Ernestina, Afriyie Lydia, Owusuwaa Margaret and Okine Rafiatu Dede will play as midfielders then Opoku Elizabeth, Sarfoa Martha, Narkuor Vivian, Antwi Doris, Konadu Jennifer, Copson Hageit, Ackon Mercy, and Addae Gifty as strikers.

Ghana would play her first game against Namibia on Sunday, October 29 and take on Kenya on Monday, October 30.

They would hit the pitch again on Tuesday November 01 2023, to play against Kenya for the last group matches at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria.

The winners of both categories would get an automatic slot to the Paris Olympics Games.

newsghama

Ms Rosalind Amoh has received her 2023 Women In Sports Association (WISA) Award from Madam Gloria Commodore at the Lancaster Hotel in Accra.

The presentation was made to the experienced Graphic Sports female sports journalist during the Ubuntu Online Academy RoundTable meeting where she represented the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

According to Madam Commodore who is President of WISA this is the ninth edition of the Awards to deserving distinguished sports women and a few men who support female sports women and activities.

Ms, Rosalind Amoh who has been practicing journalism for the past 27 years is deputy editor at the Graphic Communications Group and also deputy chairperson of the Ghana Women’s Football League Board.

Ghandour Cosmetics sponsored the 2023 WISA Awards which was held at the Media Center of the Accra Sports Sports.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the injury status of midfielder Thomas Partey, who was notably absent from the squad for their Champions League victory over Sevilla on Tuesday.

Partey, who had previously missed several weeks of the season due to a groin problem, had recently made his return to the pitch against Manchester City earlier this month.

The 30-year-old Ghanaian has been hampered by injuries this season, limiting his playing time to just five matches. His return from a previous groin injury saw him make a late substitute appearance in Arsenal's victory over Manchester City. However, he remained an unused substitute in the draw against Chelsea last weekend before being left out entirely from the trip to Spain.

According to reports, Partey sustained a thigh injury in training on Monday, but a club statement before the 2-1 win read: "Thomas Partey misses out on tonight's game with a muscle issue."

Speaking after the game, Arteta expressed uncertainty about the duration of Partey's absence, stating, "Thomas picked up an injury yesterday in training. Unfortunately, it’s a muscle injury. We don’t know the extent of it - a big miss for us."

Partey's absence is a significant setback for Arsenal, as he is considered a key player by fans and the team. Nevertheless, the midfielder has found joy in his personal life, with the anticipation of a new baby girl with his model girlfriend, Janine Mackson.

The Arsenal faithful will hope for a swift recovery and return to form for Partey, as his contributions on the field are highly valued by the club.

ghanasoccernet.com

Tournament No.3 seed  Nigeria’s David Ekpenyong won the Tennis Foundation Ghana Open ITF J100 Accra on Saturday, defeating No.2 seed Serbia’s Nikola Jovic 2-6,6-4,6-4 in the boy’s final game at the National Tennis Center, Accra.

Ekpenyong showed himself to be one of the greatest junior tennis player’s in West Africa.

Ekpenyong and Jovic met three times with Ekpenyong leading Jovic 2-1 after Saturday’s win, defeating Jovic in the J60 Week 2 and losing to Jovic in the J100 Week 1 before beating Jovic again in the J100 week 2.

Speaking to ghanatennis.org, Ekpenyong said, “I’m really living my childhood dream to compete at the highest level in the sport’.

After dropping the first set, the second set proved to be more competitive, as Ekpenyong and Jovic were in a nail-biting back and forth rally, culminating in Ekpenyong’s 6-4 victory after an hour.

In the final set, Ekpenyong’s momentum increased, and he cruised to victory.

The tournament No.2 Annika Pernickova lost in a straight set to her sister Kristina Pernickova in last week's final J100 Week 1 final.

The duo (Kristina and Annika) produced a flurry of powerful servers, extended rallies and were worthy winners.

“I never felt like it was my match to get into," Kristina said. "She played great, and she didn't give me any free points. She was just mentally tough today. "She's very strong– not only at the net but at the baseline.”

Kristina and Annika Penickova defended their doubles as the duo (Kristina And Annika) defeated Egypt’s Joody Elkandy and Czech Republic’s Nicole Lukesova 6-1, 6-1 to win the Tennis Foundation Ghana Open ITF J100 Accra Week 2 girl’s doubles title.

Serbia’s Nikola Jovic and India’s Debasis Sahoo defended their doubles title as the pair defeated Ghana’s Raphael NII Ankrah and USA’s Carel Aubriel Ngounoue 6-2, 4-6, 10-6.

The six-week tennis event was sponsored by Tennis Foundation Ghana with support from Second Serve Tennis Shop, Égalité Sports Bar and Restaurant, Accra City hotel, Central Hotel and Embassy Gardens.

Story: Gabriel Amoakoh

The National Armwrestling Team, Golden Arms, will represent Ghana at the ongoing World Combat Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from October 24-28, 2023.

The Golden Arms will be represented by two female pullers, captain and Police woman Grace Mintah, in the Women 80kg category and Mariam Kadri Moro who will also compete in the Women +80kg category.

The pullers who qualified from the last Africa Championship in Accra are accompanied by Technical Director and Head Referee for Africa, Husseini Akuetteh Addy as coach of the Africa contingent.

Head of delegation, DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor who is a board member of GAF and chairperson for Gt. Accra Armwrestling is accompanied by Team charperon Sedinam Gbeve Esq. They both will engage industry players as Ghana prepares to host the 2024 World Armwrestling championship.

Ghana competes in the Combat Games Armwrestling on Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, President Charles Osei Asibey is appointed the team leader for Africa being represented by pullers from Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Mali and Egypt.

The World Combat Games will, for up to ten days, be the beating heart for combat sports and will be the perfect bridge between elite sport and local communities.

The World Combat Games concept aims for a compact and manageable event which offers cities an opportunity for focused international promotion, to engage with their youth communities and to promote public health and wellness agendas through inspiring initiatives encouraging participation in combat sports.

Source Ghana Armwrestling Federation

Soccer For Dreamers / Ubuntu Online Academy To Train 200 Volunteers

Mrs. Sylvia Akwaboah, President of Soccer For Dreamers has disclosed that the Ubuntu Online Academy which is a project to support the youth will train 200 and over volunteers to augment their goals and objectives.

She told journalists after the round table discussion at the Lancaster Hotel in Accra on Tuesday where business owners, CEOs of corporations and NGOs, HR heads, CSR heads, media and sports people gathered to brainstorm on the pain points of hiring in their various industries and how Ubuntu Online Academy can bridge the gap.

She noted that young people are the future and they should be supported now to be able to abreast with other youth in America, Europe, Asia or Saudi Arabia.

According to Mrs. Akwaboah, young Ghanaians and Africans need to be encouraged and supported so the Ubuntu Online Academy has taken taken up the challenge to address some issue and post them as content on their platform which is getting more members daily.

She expressed that some of the solutions can be found in skills training, creativity, volunteerism, digital media influence, experience sharing and encouragement.

She was glad for a successful meeting of people from various sectors of society to brainstorm on social development.

Mrs. Busie Matsiko-Andan, a South African married to a Ghanaian in a contribution said the time for change is now and Africans must stand up and do something for their respective nations and continent.

Ms. Clara Penkra-Sam CEO of Clatural, a fashion expert and entrepreneur said their industry is big and they are ready to support the Ubuntu Online Academy.

She spoke about creativity, awareness creation and how Africa can lead in the industry with excellent training and skill development.

Mrs. Sylvia Akwaboah, President of Soccer For Dreamers whose three sons are young footballers and very much interested in education and helping others said they wanted to find a platform to support footballers who do nothing after training and it generated into the Ubuntu Online project.

She asked interested people to check out the Ubuntu platform on http://ubuntuonlineacademy.org to register or donate.

Ubuntu Online Academy is a free learning platform, an initiative by Soccer For Dreamers to equip the youth of Ghana, and eventually Africa for employment prospects or entrepreneurship.

Soccer For Dreamers has also supported various football clubs and players, both male and female with many logistics.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The stage is set for the second round of African qualifying for the Women's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 as the first-leg matches are played across the continent from Wednesday.

As the journey for the tournament to be played in the French capital is gathering pace, the continent's football fans are bracing themselves for thrilling encounters.

With the continent's four representatives from last summer's FIFA Women's World Cup now entering the fray, intrigue builds around who will secure the coveted spots in Paris.

This pivotal phase of the qualifiers, scheduled to run from October 25th to October 31st, will feature Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia who represented Africa in Australia & New Zealand.

Five African countries have participated in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament since its debut in Atlanta 1996 with Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe being the countries to have featured.

As the two spots for the 2024 Paris edition remain up for grabs, CAF's representatives will be known in April 2024 setting the stage for tough qualifiers with focus on the countries that played at the recent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Nigeria vs. Ethiopia:

Nigeria, the only African nation to have participated in the Women’s Olympic Tournament three times, are gearing up for their 2024 qualifying campaign against Ethiopia.

The Super Falcons, who faced an unfortunate exit at the last 16 stage in the 2023 Women's World Cup, aim to rediscover their scoring prowess against Ethiopia, a team that has yet to qualify for a major global competition.

Congo DR vs. South Africa:

Reigning African champions South Africa will clash with Congo DR. South Africa's Banyana Banyana, who have made two prior Olympic appearances, hope to continue their journey with strikers like Hildah Magaia and Thembi Kgatlana expected to lead the attack of their country against Congo DR are chasing their first Olympic ticket.

Namibia vs. Morocco:

Namibia and Morocco face off, both in pursuit of their first Olympic qualification. Morocco, fresh from an impressive Women's World Cup debut, is filled with newfound confidence following a successful run at the global stage and are favoured over their opponents.

Remaining Second Round Fixtures:

Uganda vs. Cameroon

Benin vs. Ghana

Tanzania vs. Botswana

Zambia, having automatically advanced to the third round due to Mali's withdrawal, now await their next challenge.

The road to Paris 2024 doesn't end here. The competition intensifies with the third round, featuring the eight victorious teams from the second round, competing in home-and-away fixtures.

The ultimate prize awaits in the fourth round, where the four victorious teams from the third round will face off in two home-and-away clashes, with two golden tickets to the Olympic Games up for grabs.

The Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, is set to run from July 25th to August 10th.

Africa's finest will now battle it out for their place on the world's biggest sporting stage. The journey is just beginning, but the destination is the Olympic dream.

Full second round fixtures

Ethiopia v Nigeria

First leg on 25 October (15:30) Abebe Bekila Stadium, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

Second leg on 31 October (16:00) MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja (Nigeria)

Congo DR v South Africa

First leg on 25 October (15:30) Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa (Congo DR)

Second leg on 30 October (16:00) Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg (South Africa)

Uganda v Cameroon

First leg on 26 October (16:00) FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru (Uganda)

Second leg on 31 October (17:00) Reunification Stadium, Douala (Cameroon)

Tanzania v Botswana

First leg on 26 October (16:00) Azam Complex Stadium, Chamazi (Tanzania)

Second leg on 31 October (18:00) National Stadium, Gaborone (Botswana)

Uganda v Cameroon

First leg on 26 October (16:00) FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru (Uganda)

Second leg on 31 October (17:00) Reunification Stadium, Douala (Cameroon)

Namibia v Morocco

First leg on 26 October (18:00) Independence Stadium, Windhoek (Namibia)

Second leg on 31 October (19:00) Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay, Rabat (Morocco)

Benin v Ghana

First leg on 27 October (17:00) Stade de l'Amitie General Mathieu Kerekou, Cotonou (Benin)

Second leg on 31 October (15:30) Accra Sports Stadium, Accra (Ghana)

Cote d'Ivoire v Tunisia

First leg on 25-27 October (--:--) To be confirmed, To be confirmed (Cote d'Ivoire)

Second leg on 31 October (16:00) Stade de Solimane, Solimane (Tunisia)

Source cafonline.com

Ubuntu Online Academy Encourages Ghana and African Youth To Equip Themselves To Compete Globally

Young Ghanaians and Africans in general have been motivated to learn to be abreast with modern trends to be able to compete in the current world situation.

At a round table discussion organized by Ubuntu Online Academy at the Lancaster Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, business owners, CEOs of corporations and NGOs, HR heads, CSR heads, media and sports people met to brainstorm on the pain points of hiring in their various industries and how Ubuntu Online Academy can bridge the gap.

Some of the solutions found were training, creativity, volunteerism, digital media influence, experience sharing and encouragement.

MC of the day, Mrs. Busie Matsiko-Andan, a South African married to a Ghanaian expressed that the time for change is now and Africans must stand up and do something for their respective nations and continent.

Entrepreneur, Ms. Clara Penkra-Sam CEO of Clatural, a fashion organization shared some experience with guests.

She said fashion is a big industry and branding in fashion is key.

She spoke about creativity, awareness creation and how Africa can lead in the industry with excellent training and skill development.

Mrs. Sylvia Akwaboah, President of Soccer For Dreamers whose three sons are young footballers and very much interested in education and helping others said they wanted to find a platform to support footballers who do nothing after training and it generated into the Ubuntu project.

She noted that skill and certificates are not enough in the current dispensation as the youth ought to be confident, innovative, intelligent, have leadership potentials, be able to work with others (teamwork) and have what it takes to succeed or move to a higher level.

She was very confident that in unity, Africans would build a better continent together, as they have realized then need for positive change.

“We want to train 200 enthusiastic young people as volunteers, the number could increase when we see the need for for people, I think its time for Africa” she added.

She asked interested people to check out the Ubuntu platform on http://ubuntuonlineacademy.org.

Ubuntu Online Academy is a free learning platform, an initiative by Soccer For Dreamers to equip the youth of Ghana, and eventually Africa for employment prospects or entrepreneurship.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

In September of 2023, the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) held the 7th edition of the African Championships, which served as a significant milestone in IMMAF’s continued efforts regarding the growth of amateur MMA in the region. 

IMMAF stands as the sole global governing authority that has consistently orchestrated continental amateur championships in Africa. With the first event taking place in 2016, IMMAF has since successfully held seven Africa Championships with the latest edition taking place for the first time in Luanda, Angola.

As such, it has come as a surprise that a rival governing body for MMA, known as GAMMA, has managed to secure the rights to showcase MMA as an exhibition sport at the upcoming African Games. This development has raised questions, particularly given IMMAF’s unquestioned pre-eminence and dedicated efforts in advancing amateur MMA in Africa.

There are 19 African IMMAF Federations affiliated to the Africa Mixed Martial Arts Confederation (AMMAC) who are directly recognised by their governments or National Olympic Commissions – and the number continues to grow – which makes the African Games decision difficult to understand. AMMAC is made up of member Federations under IMMAF.

IMMAF is a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which provides IMMAF with the authority as the sole governing body for the sport of MMA worldwide. For this reason, IMMAF are in advanced discussions with the IOC regarding Olympic recognition. IMMAF has over 120 member Federations worldwide, each recognised by their governments sporting structures and/or National Olympic Committees. Through IMMAF progression pathways several athletes have progressed directly from amateur to professional debuts on the world’s biggest platform the UFC.

“AMMAC’s primary objective is to establish a unified platform for MMA in Africa, fostering collaboration, talent identification, and technical advancement,” said Goowtamsingh Ramtohul, President of the Africa MMA Confederation (AMMAC), which was set up by IMMAF to promote the sport in Africa.

“For this reason, we are disappointed that AMMAC/IMMAF has not been given the opportunity to showcase our hard work on the African continent by being given the honour to represent the growing sport of MMA at the African Games. We will continue to work hard to lobby representatives and will ensure that are arguments are based on facts, past achievements and objective arguments.”

“With the support of IMMAF, we prioritize the welfare and growth of our athletes, coaches, officials, and member organizations, striving to create an inclusive environment that empowers individuals to achieve their fullest potential. Our vision extends beyond the competitive aspect of MMA, as we also emphasize community engagement, social responsibility, and the promotion of positive values.”

AMMAC is committed to a Strategic Plan, based on 4 pillars: Education, Youth, Women in sport, and Anti-doping.

“We will continue to harness the transformative power of MMA to positively impact societies across the African continent. We are excited about the prospect of collaboration and would welcome the opportunity to connect with other African sport entities to discuss potential areas of synergy and cooperation,” said Goowtamsingh.

Source - immaf.org/news

Ubuntu Online Academy is organizing a Roundtable Discussion of Business owners, CEO’s of corporations, HR heads, CSR heads to discuss the pain points of hiring in their various industries and how Ubuntu Online Academy can bridge the gap.

The event which is strictly by invitation takes place at the Lancaster Hotel (former Golden Tulip), on Tuesday 24th October, 2023from 10am -12-30pm.

Ubuntu Online Academy is a free learning platform, an initiative by Soccer For Dreamers to equip the youth of Ghana, and eventually Africa for employment prospects or entrepreneurship.

“We are confident that together, in our own little way, we can build the continent we want to see” said Sylvia Akwaboah, President of Soccer for Dreamers.

By Sammy Heywood Okine