The World governing body of Amputee football has lifted the ban on Ghana’s participation in all Amputee Football Activities.

The decision was made at the extraordinary congress held on April 29, 2023, and has been met with unanimous approval from Ghana.

Led by the President of the African Paralympic Committee and Ghana Paralympic Committee, Mr Samson Deen, and his team, Ghana presented a case for its inclusion and qualified for membership based on the new membership criteria.

After years of exclusion from international competitions, Ghana’s amputee football team is now set to make a comeback on the global stage.

The country’s proposal to qualify for affiliation to the World Amputee Football Association “WAFF” was accepted by the World Body, and Ghana’s inclusion in all Amputee Football Activities has been approved.

The decision is admirable news for the Amputee Football Fraternity in Ghana, and it will kickstart programs to prepare a formidable team for the upcoming Accra 2023 African Para Games.

With Ghana being the current African Amputee Football Champions since 2021, the team’s inclusion in the global arena will further strengthen the country’s presence in the world of Paralympic sports.

As part of its preparatory program, the newly formed member, NPC Ghana / National Amputee Football Association of Ghana, has proposed to organize the Amputee Football Cup.

The tournament will provide an excellent opportunity for Ghana’s amputee football team to prepare for international competitions.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

All 20 teams set to participate in the first-ever African Paralympic games have been confirmed, according to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation.

The 20 teams confirmed for the showdown consist of twelve (12) men's and eight (8) women's teams, competing for medals in several sporting disciplines.

The 12 men's teams confirmed for the Accra 2023 para games are the host Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, DR Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Angola, Central African Republic, Nigeria and Senegal.

The eight women's teams include the host Ghana, Algeria, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, DR Comgo, Zambia and Nigeria.

The tournament, scheduled to take place in Ghana's capital city, Accra, from the 3rd to the 15th of September, will be the first time the African continent will come together to witness such an event.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Black Stars defender Mohammed Salisu has penned a passionate message to Southampton fans after the club was officially relegated from the Premier League after match week 36.

The Saints were beaten at home by Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

Heading into the game, Southampton needed a win to keep their chances of survival alive despite sitting at the bottom of the league log with 24 points.

However, goals from Carlos Vinicius and Aleksandar Mitrović secured the win for Marco Silva's side.

Salisu, 24, joined the Saints from Real Valladolid in the summer transfer window of 2020 and has since become a key player for the team.

Unfortunately, injuries this season has meant that he missed a lot of games.

Salisu took to his official Instagram account to post his message to Southampton fans. He thanked them for their support through the team's happy times and struggles in the league.

The former Real Valladolid defender will play in the English Skybet Championship next season following their relegation from the Premier League.

Southampton will wrap up their campaign against Brighton and Liverpool.

Footballghana

Ghana’s Winnifred Ntumi has won three medals at the Africa senior championship in Tunisia Tunis a qualification event for the Paris 2024.

She got one silver and two bronze medals.

Women In Sports Association (WISA) President, Madam Gloria Commodore has congratulated her and the Ghana Weightlifting Association for their hard work and determination.

Hon. Jerry Ahmed Shaib is the President of Ghana Weight Lifting. He also commended the lifters and hoped more athletes will get into the medal zone in subsequent competitions.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Naadu Sika Gberbi in collaboration with Women Sports Association of Ghana (WOSPAG) has organized a Tri angular Sports Competition for Three Girls Schools in the Akuapemm Zone of the Eastern Region on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Mamfe.

The Schools are Methodist Girls SHS, Aburi Girls SHS and Diaspora Girls SHS.

The events competed included Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Ampe, Chess, Aerobics and Tecqball which was a side attraction.

The programme was supported by the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), GTV and Voltic Mineral Water.

Madam Agnes Abefe of WOSPAG said the competition was exciting and successful.

She called on corporate Ghana to support sports in the schools especially at the second cycle level.

Mr. Charles Osei Asibey, General Secretary of SWAG and President of Ghana Armwrestling was present to motivate the young female athletes.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

 The accomplished administrator, who was elected Rugby Africa President in March 2023, recently paid a working visit to the secretariat of the LOC.

The President of the governing body of Rugby in Africa, Herbert Kwabena Amponsah Mensah, has lavished praises on the Local Organising Committee.

The accomplished administrator, who was elected Rugby Africa President in March 2023, recently paid a working visit to the secretariat of the LOC.

Rugby is one of the 25 sporting disciplines expected to participate in the continental multi-sport event in March 2024 and the LOC has been supervising the construction of a modern-standard rugby facility in Accra.

Speaking to Accra-based radio station, Peace FM, the former Asante Kotoko CEO spoke highly of the Local Organising Committee.

“I think the LOC is doing a great job. I met with the LOC Chairman [Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare] and his committee members as well as the Minister for Youth and Sports [Mustapha Ussif] to formally include Rugby as one of the disciplines for Accra 2023,” he said.

“The LOC and Ministry of Youth and Sports have done a fantastic job. They are building a Rugby pitch at Legon. It would be the first dedicated Rugby pitch in West Africa,” he added.

Source: Accra2023ag.com

GNPC Ghana Fastest 2023 Edition Moves To Cape Coast On May 27

The next action spot after Tamale for the GNPC Ghana’s Fastest Human Competition 2023 Edition is the historic city of Cape Coast.

The best sprinters in the south of Ghana will converge in Cape Coast, for that matter, Central, Western & Gt. Accra regions fastest runners will be at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium to see who is the best.

The date is Saturday May 27^th, and athletics lovers can not afford the miss the action.

The competition is only 100 metres and it is for under 15, under 18 and seniors 18 and over, both male and female.

According to Reks Brobby who invented the GNPC Ghana Fastest, it is an Open meet so anyone who thinks they are fast can try out.

The competition is sponsored by GNPC, Adidas, Wrenco Printing, Indomie, Global Media Alliance, Moringa King, Kriate Lync, Pippas Gym and GCB.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

...AFBC should act decisively on Tashkent debacle

The 21st edition of Men's World Boxing Championships is over.

Winners are all smiles scooping medals and attractive prize money to boot.

Africa, with 99 boxers from 28 countries, once again like it happened in 2019 and 2021 Men's World Championships, did not win a single medal in Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent. This is shameful and a big embarrassment to the continent.

The African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) President Bertrand Mendouga and team should not treat the Tashkent  debacle lightly by watching this unfolding sad scenario from the terraces.

Roll up your sleeves and call a spade a spade. You must show your concern on why 99 boxers from Africa failed to win a single medal in Tashkent. Ask yourselves why is Africa now short of naturally gifted boxers who used to conquer the world without any meaningful exposure and using modern facilities for training the likes of Azumah Nelson, Ayub Kalule, David Kotey, Philip Waruinge, Leo Rwabogo, Davidson Andeh, Obisia Nwankpa, Julius Luipa, Lottie Mwale, Steve Muchoki to mention but a few.

It's also the right time for AFBC to scrutinise with a toothcomb how member federations conduct their affairs and act decisively to rectify any management anomaly that might be a contributory factor to the Tashkent debacle and failure in other major tournaments.

In case you notice any anomaly, use the big stick to rectify the situation as the parent boxing body in Africa. This should be done now. Take the bull by horns even if it means making a few enemies provided you've taken the right decision.

And as officials and boxers miserably push their trolleys at the airport in Tashkent to board their flights back to Africa empty-handed, national federation barons must ask themselves pertinent questions aimed at rectifying the situation. It should not be business as usual. Heads should roll if need be to streamline their operations. Stop treating under-achievers with kid gloves lest you sink with them.

Among the questions you should ask yourselves:

 *1) For how long will this indifferent performance continue?*

 *2) When will you solicit for sponsorship from the corporate world to ensure you prepare your teams adequately to supplement government's support instead of always visiting government offices with your begging bowls yet you know your governments are financially overburdened with other pressing issues such as health,  infrastructure and education?*

 *3) If you have any conscience, don't you feel ashamed of yourselves your respective governments* *using their meagre resources to fund your foreign trips but you don't achieve anything?*

 *4) What have you not done right knowing very well running a federation is not a picnic?*

 *5) Is your coaching and selection system okay?*

 *6) When was the last time you held a national selection tournament to pick more capable and deserving boxers from all  parts of your country where you have active boxers?*

 *7) Must you take part in such big and competitive tournaments when you're well aware you've not prepared adequately?*

 *8) Or is it the lure of perdiem and that rare foreign trip that overrides* *the performance of your teams?*

 *9) Have you put the right structures in place in your boxing development plan or you're running your organisations like a* *personal kiosk with a few loyalists calling the shots thereby denying  capable stakeholders a chance to share their wealth of  knowledge and useful input which could improve your performance?*

 *10) For how long will you take part in such prestigious events without a game plan?*

 *11) Why are some of your boxers not improving despite the exposure you've given them, and must they* *always be in your national teams yet they've under-achieved?*

 *12) When will you embrace the importance of undergoing early and adequate preparations for a tournament of this* *magnitude in Tashkent so that you compete for medals, and not taking part as gamblers relying on luck?*

Kudos however to some of the African boxers for your spirited and commendable performance in Tashkent. You went down fighting.

Judging from their poor showing, some boxers had no business being in Tashkent because their low standards did not meet this high profile event. How they made it to Tashkent is not only questionable but shameful. To a larger extent it's a reflection of the shoddy management of boxing in some African national federations in which professionalism has been thrown out of the window.

For such highly competitive tournaments you only take the best. Not mediocre performers who've not been seriously tested.

In my opinion, it's only Zambia's Africa flyweight champion Patrick Chinyemba (pictured in red attire) who I can  authoritatively say was robbed of a clearcut win in his quarter-final bout against Spain's Martin Molina. Of course there were some close decisions which could have gone either way.

Needless to say most of the African boxers were beaten fair and square. In such tournaments, learn to win convincingly. There's no shortcut.

So, don't go back home with a bagful of excuses because most of us in boxing watched the bouts. You've nowhere to hide.

Accept honourably you lost to more skillful, well exposed, technically superior and mentally sharper opponents whose national federations work with clinical efficiency and take such tournaments seriously through adequate preparations and incentives for their boxers.

If you have any conscience, some of you should quit. But this being Africa it rarely happens.

NENEZ MEDIA SERVICES

Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions heads to the Chumash Casino Resort on Saturday, July 22 with a ten-round main event featuring WBC #3 ranked super welterweight, Serhii ‘El Flaco’ Bohachuk, (22-1, 22 KOs), of Vinitza, Ukraine defending his WBC Continental Americas championship against former world title challenger, Patrick Allotey, (42-4, 32 KOs), of Accra, Ghana, broadcast globally on UFC Fight Pass.

Tom Loeffler said, “We are excited to announce our next Hollywood Fight Nights Show on Saturday, July 22 live on UFC Fight Pass. We are looking forward to bringing World Class Boxing back to Chumash Casino Resort with Serhii Bohachuk defending his WBC Continental Americas Championship against tough Patrick Allotey. This will be a great boxing weekend for fans to come to the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley.”

Internationally known for his knockouts which have accounted for all of his victories, the 28-year-old Bohachuk returns to battle following a sixth-round stoppage of Nathaniel Gallimore on January 27, his fourth straight victory. Among his other knockout wins during this impressive streak include Aaron Coley, Raphael Igbokwe and Brandon Baue.

“I’m happy to be back in the ring on July 22 and looking forward to defending my WBC title against Patrick Allotey,” said Bohachuk.

“I saw him fight for the world title against Jaime Munguia and think this will be another great challenge to show I am ready to become a world champion.”

The hard-hitting Allotey, from the boxing rich country of Ghana, challenged current top-rated middleweight Jaime Munguia in a hotly contested world championship battle in 2019.

Most recently he scored an eighth-round stoppage of Hamisi Maya on March 22, 2022 in Accra, Ghana. Among the other notable names Allotey has clashed with over his sixteen years as a professional include Kanat Islam, Patrick Teixeira and Charles Manyuchi.

Source Boxing Ghana

Dreams FC tactician, Abdul Karim Zito has revealed that winning the FA Cup trophy and escaping relegation in the Premier League are equally important.

Despite having an impressive run in the FA Cup, The Still Believe are caught up in a fierce relegation battle that could go down to the wire this season.

Zito's side have made it to the FA Cup final for the first time after seeing off Skyy FC in the semis with a 2-1 victory on Saturday but are 14th in the Premier League standings on 38 points, just a point above the danger zone.

Quizzed on whether winning the FA Cup or extending his stay in the Premier was his top priority, Zito told StarTimes: "Both, both. Look, we qualifying for the finals is a big plus to the club and myself, it also improved my CV so escaping relegation is normal and I will do it Insha Allah"

Dreams will know which team they play in the final of the FA Cup when Nsoatreman lock horns with King Faisal on Sunday while they host Berekum Chelsea in Dawu when they return to league play on Sunday, May 21 2023.

Source Ghanasoccernet