Fatimo Bello of Nigeria on Thursday won the gold medal in the Women's Table Tennis Single event of the four day West African Table Tennis Championship played at the Trust Sport Emporium in Accra.

Her countryman, Omeh Amadi also took the Men's singles gold after making light work on improved Oba Oba Kizito from Cote d'Ivoire.

Omeh Amadi told journalists after he was decorated that he put in much to win, but has to work on his backhand before any competition. He expressed that he trained very hard and hopes to win the African Championship in Tunisia.

Fatimo Bello, three-time West Africa Regional champion on her part said that competition was tough but because she was well conditioned, everything went in her favor.

The Nigerian who was born in1997 is a Southpaw with a dominant and dangerous left hand: left. Her weapon is the attacking style which she uses to overwhelm opponents. She is number 62 in the ITTF rankings with 350 points, but wants to move forward, as her best ranking was 52.

Esther Oribamise also from Nigeria won the bronze medal.

Omeh Amadi of Nigeria defeated Oba Oba Kizito 4-0 to win Gold in the Men's singles event.

The WTTC West Africa Regional Championship saw Nigeria winning most of the medals. They also took both Men's and Women's Team Events.

Gold went to Nigeria, Silver to Ghana and the Bronze was shared by Cote d'Ivoire and Benin.

For the Men's Team event, it was once again Gold for Nigeria, Silver for Benin while the Bronze went to Ghana and Cote D'ivoire respectively.

Head Coach of the Nigerian team said they prepared well by camping the players and taking them through drills that will make them champions.

Coach Ebenezer Whyte of Ghana said he was happy that the female players won the Silver Medals and promised that the future is bright.

President of the Ghana Table Tennis Association, Mr. Mawuko Afadzinu thanked everyone who played a role in the hosting of the Championship which produced some exciting moments and ended successfully.

He specifically mentioned the sponsors and partners who supported the Championship.

Present at the final were Mr, Ben Nunoo Mensah President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Madam Ethel Jacks aka African Queen, Sounou Ferdinand President of the West African Table Tennis Federation and Prof. Gerdain Alfred Karou ATTF Vice President (Technical).

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The Darts Association of Ghana (DAG) has organized its first outreach programme, since its formation in 2019.

The outreach event was held at the St. Paul’s Catholic Church with over 50 players from the amateur to inter-mediate level participating on the championship and as part of efforts to develop and promote the sport in Ghana.

The participants were taken, through the basics of the sport, by the interim national executives of the association led by Mr. Henri Senyo Penni – General Secretary of DAG.

In all 16 players participated in a competition organized by the Association and was won by Mr. Fred Kwaku Gudu – a Banker at the First Atlantic Bank.

Mr. Gudu expressed appreciation to the organisers for the opportunity.

He said though he used few days to practice the sport, he was able to learn the rudiments on time for the competition.

He called on others to join the sport to make it bigger in Ghana.

Mr. Senyo Penni – the General Secretary expressed satisfaction with the turnout and the enthusiasm of participants.

He said it was their first effort at bringing the sport to the doorstep of everybody.

The DAG was formed in 2017 and dully registered in 2019 as a sporting discipline.

Source Willie Ezah

Nigeria is dominating the 2023 West African Table Tennis Championship being held at the Trust Sports Emporium in Accra, Ghana.

On Day 4, which is the finals day, the Men's Semi-final will be played between Omeh Amadi (NGR) and his colleague Azeez Solanke (NGR).

In the other Semi final game, Oba Oba Kizito (CIV) will face Akanbi Rilwan (NGR).

For the Women's Singles (Semi-final), Bello Fatimo (NGR) will clash with Oribamise Esther (NGR), while Ojomu Ajoke (NGR) meets Leba Essevoh Mirreille (CIV).

It has been an exciting tournament hosted by the Ghana Table Tennis Association with nine nations represented.

It was been very successful as new players have been discovered and exposed while the veterans enjoyed themselves.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The third day of the 2023 West African Table Tennis Championship produced amazing and outstanding display by players from the various counties taking part in the contest. .

Ghana's Cynthia Kwabi put up a good show but ended up at the Quarter final stage.

She fought well and lost gallantly to Nigerian Essevoh Leba which ended 3-3 (11-7).

The Men's Singles (Quarter final) between Felix Lartey and Omeh Amadi (NGR) was a delight to watch, because it was Ghana's top seed at the table and the fans had much to cheer about.

Labante Blessing (GHA) lost 0-4 to Oribamise Esther (NGR) for another Semi Final slot.

Essevoh Leba of Ivory Coast won her game Omeh Amadi to the semis, but Isaac Davies (GHA) was beaten 1-4 by Oba Oba Kizito (CIV) who has advanced to the semis. Nigeria and Cote dIvoire really came prepared to win the medals.

Earlier, Ayoko Fanida Amah from Togo has beaten Celia Baah-Danso of  Ghana in the group stage of the women’s singles 3-0.

The four day championship comes to a close on Thursday April 27 when medals will be awarded to deserving players.

Generally it has been a good tournament at the regional level and afforded some young players to gain experience and exposure.

Kudos to the Ghana Table Tennis Association, sponsors, partners media and the general public who came to cheer the players.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Thomas Partey and Arsenal's hopes of clinching their first English Premier League title since 2004 have been dealt a blow following a 4-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Gunners had been in contention for the title for most of the season, but a recent dip in form has seen their aspirations falter.

Prior to the Manchester City game, Arsenal had drawn their last three matches, extending their winless run.

Kevin de Bruyne opened the scoring for Manchester City in just the seventh minute, before John Stones doubled the lead just before halftime.

De Bruyne scored his second goal of the match nine minutes into the second half, assisted by Erling Haaland, before Arsenal's Rob Holding pulled one back.

Haaland then scored himself to complete a dominant display for the Cityzens, who are currently two points behind Arsenal with two games in hand.

Manchester City will look to take the top spot with a win against Fulham on Sunday at Craven Cottage, while Arsenal will face Chelsea on Tuesday.

ghanasoccernet

New York Square, LLC has announced a partnership with the Ghana Basketball Federation (GBBA) to develop and promote basketball in Ghana by providing the infrastructure and technical support necessary to create a fully integrated national program.

Dan Isaacs, New York Square’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer first began traveling to Ghana in 2013.

Four years later in 2017, he brought Famous Famiglia - New York’s Favorite pizza including the water, to Ghana’s capital, Accra, selling American Exceptionalism “One Slice at a Time” as Africa’s only authentic New York City pizza. Dan lived in Accra for two years, during which time he fell in love with the Ghanaian people and culture, later making a cameo in the music video for African Superstar Davido’s 2018 hit “Meji Meji.” He hasn’t looked back since.

Dan now finds himself back in Ghana six years later, but this time with a different mission, as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of New York Square, LLC, a private enterprise created to develop partnerships in the fields of sports and entertainment as a means of advancing socio-economic growth in Africa with a focus on gender equality, education, healthcare, and infrastructure development. To accomplish this mission, he has assembled an executive team consisting of highly accomplished individuals with decades of sports, entertainment, and business experience both in Africa and the United States.

“To execute our vision is a dream come true and in the making for almost a decade,” said Isaacs. “It is our mission to use sports to provide the structure, support, guidance, and mentorship necessary for Africa's youth to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.”

Later this spring, the project will begin with the construction of 10 courts in selected regions, beginning with the first in the Northern regional capital of Tamale. These courts shall be manufactured by Connor Sport Court International, the market leader in portable and permanent hardwood sports, athletic, and dance flooring systems. In addition to each of these regional community courts, boreholes will be drilled to provide a fresh water supply for the adjacent communities.

 “A basketball in a kid’s hands might not necessarily translate into success in the game, but it might alter the trajectory of this kid’s life onto paths hitherto unknown,” stated Alex Kukula, Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Ghana Basketball Association and Director of Basketball Operations for New York Square. “Basketball made me and now my dream is to use basketball to give hope to underserved youth with every bounce of the ball.” “Together we are focused on developing solutions that benefit Ghana by targeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10,” added Ato Van-Ess, GBBA President.

New York Square’s participation in the development of Ghana basketball will soon expand to include tennis, baseball, and golf, with the vision of providing the same opportunities for millions of young girls and boys across Africa as New York Square expands its presence on the continent.

With a population of over 32 million and a median age of 25.1 (nearly 20% of Ghanaians are fifteen years of age or younger), the Republic of Ghana, known as the Black Star of Africa, is the Continent’s commercial gateway and the best place for doing business in West Africa. This moniker is demonstrated by the African Union’s decision to place the headquarters of its African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat in its capital, Accra, which opened on August 17, 2020.

Ghana has enjoyed increasingly stable and deepening democratic governance, which has strengthened the effectiveness of key national institutions, enhanced investor confidence, and anchored the economy to provide a growth environment. The American Chamber of Commerce – Ghana is a veritable who's who of America's corporate elite including Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Google, Uber, Dow Chemical, and IBM amongst many others, who were attracted by its conducive business environment, committed and progressive government-private sector participation, transparent regulations, and a dynamic private sector ready for partnerships.

Ghana is geographically closer than any other country to the center of the planet with an average of 8 hours of flying time to Europe and the Americas. It is religiously tolerant, considered West Africa's educational center, and pro-western in orientation with a special affinity for New York City, home to Ghana's largest ex pat population.

Source Ghana Basketball

The Footvolley Association of Ghana has become the 51^st sports federation to be recognized by the National Sports Authority (NSA).

The President of the federation, Mr. Mustapha Mohammed was on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 presented with a provisional certificate by the Director General of the NSA, Professor Peter Twumasi at his office at the Accra Sports Stadium.

He was accompanied by Secretary, Miss Samira Mensah, Organizer Ben Ghartey and Media Coordinator Sammy Heywood Okine.

The NSA was represented by its acting Technical Director Mr. Jeff Owusu Masan, acting Evaluation and Monitoring Director Mr. Hubert Mensah and Public Relations Officer Miss Rita Odei.

The NSA Boss advised the new federation to work hard to develop the sports at the grassroot level, although they have been working hard in collaboration with foreign counterparts.

He said the six months probation to qualify them for full recognition should inspire them to promote and develop the sport in at least 10 of the 16 region, especially at the community and district levels and try to work with the Regional Sports Associations.

He noted that a country like Egypt has over 100 sports federations, making the people always occupied with something to do and keeping them healthy.

The Acting Technical Director of the NSA, Mr. Jeff Owusu advised the President of Footvolley to be able to attract sponsorship and deal with a brand to promote the sport.

Mr. Mustapha Mohammed promised to use Footvolley to educate people living along the coastal areas to stop san winning and keep the beaches clean to promote tourism.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

I want to become Africa Table Tennis Queen - Augustina Baidoo

Young enterprising Table Tennis rising star player of Ghana, Augustina Baidoo has disclosed that she wants to become one of the best players in the world.

“In fact I want to become the best on the African continent and one of the best in the world. My dream is to become African Table Tennis Queen to take over from the likes of Ethel Jacks” she told Yours Truly in an exclusive interview at the Trust Sports Emporium.

According to the Ghana Army Private, she believes Table Tennis can take her far as a sports person and soldier.

The confident rising star who is the current Ghana number one among the female players said the sky is her limit, and wants to go very high.

She thanked her coaches at the Ghana Army, Staff Sergeant Moses Tagoe and National Team, Coaches Eben Whyte and Robert Tetteh as well as head coach Owusu Ansah for teaching her many things and would not forget to add their contribution to her success story.

She sees the future as very bright for herself and Ghana Table Tennis. She was very confident Ghana will excel at the up coming 13^th African Games scheduled for 2024.

She expressed that the West African Regional Championship has exposed her to many things in the game and hopes the government will let them go on a trip outside to sharpen up before the African Games.

She was champion at the recent National Championship held at Tamale, and contributed to her club, Ghana Army to win the 2022 Greater Accra League Competition.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Zero Plastic Planet, an Accra-based non-profit organization has embarked on a beach clean-up exercise at the Ningo Prampam Beach, to mark World Earth Day.

The purpose of the exercise  is to  collect plastic waste, prevent them from entering the ocean and educate the indigenes of Ningo Prampram on the detriments of plastic pollution.

The exercise also saw the collection of data and its analysis on the plastic waste collected, to ascertain the relative proportions of different categorizations of plastic products consumed and waste disposed off at the shoreline.

Research indicated that over one million marine lives died annually from plastic waste pollution.

Also, over 100,000 marine lives were found entangled in plastic waste, resulting from the improper disposal of plastic waste.

 Considering these, the organization saw the need to embark on the exercise to save and protect the marine life ecosystem in Ghana.

This exercise would be extended to all other beaches in the country to collect relevant data, to inform policy making at the government level.

The Zero Plastic planet team, led by the Executive Vice Director, Ms. Beauty Kabukie Apedoe provided education for the indigenes of the community on the detriments of improper disposal of plastic waste and how it affected the marine ecosystem in the long run.

The organization believes community sensitization is key to achieving its overarching goal, in the fighting plastic pollution in the long run.

Source Willie Ezah

Serene Insurance provides protection for participants of 2023 Accra Inter-City Homowo Marathon

Serene Insurance Ghana Limited, one of the leading insurance companies in Ghana, has provided a personal accident insurance cover for 1000 participants at the 2nd Edition of the Accra Inter-City Homowo Marathon, fixed for July 29, 2023.

The package worth GHC 1,000,000 is to provide cover for 1000 athletes, at a unit cost GHC 1,000 per athlete during the race.

In addition, the company would provide the organisers with 400 running vests for participating athletes worth close to GHC20,000, cash donation for the organization of the event and a 90-day Travel Insurance Policy for the winner.

Mrs. Mercy Naa Koshie Boampong Chief Executive Officer of Serene Insurance Ghana Limited, said marathons were very significant  for promoting tourism, good health and physical fitness, and a healthy life style, hence the decision of her outfit to be the headline sponsors of the event.

He said marathons also help in promoting cities and towns across the world, as well as festivals adding that, for the event to be situated within the Homowo period offers wider coverage and greater benefits to all.

She noted that Serene Insurance's decision to support the 2nd edition of the Accra Inter-City Homowo Marathon was driven by the enormous benefits the collaboration would bring to the participants (both active and remote) and Ghana in terms of fitness & health, tourism and sports opportunities.

“Serene Insurance believes that the Accra Inter-City Homowo Marathon had the potential to be a major and leading event not only in Ghana, but across

the sub-region and Africa.

“And it is our desire to grow with this noble initiative, as we are looking forward to greater things,” she added.

Mr. Henri Senyo Penni – General Manager of Medivents Consult organisers of the event expressed appreciation to the insurance company for their support, adding that it would bring the best out of the athletes.

He said it was no mean an achievement for an insurance company to support the race with such an amount in sponsorship especially in these critical moments of the national economy.

Mr. Senyo Penni noted that this year’s race would see a massive improvement in terms of the safety and security of athletes.

He announced that, aside the 21-Kilometer race, which is the flagship event, there shall be 10 and 5 kilometer races as well.

The Accra Inter-City Homowo Marathon is fixed for Saturday, July 29, from the Accra Sports Stadium through some principal streets to Mantse Agbona, James Town.

It is part of the activities marking the annual Homowo Festival.

Over 1000 athletes are expected to participate in the race.

Source Willie Ezah