The Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) is set to kick start a training programme for coaches and technical officials ahead of the 2023 African Games to be hosted by Ghana.

The programme is expected to take place between December 2020 and November 2021 after the GAA received certification from World Athletics (WA) and Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).

A statement signed by the General Secretary of GAA, Mr. Bawah Fuseni said the association is engaged with WA and CAA for support and capacity building initiatives aimed at enhancing Ghanaian coaches and technical officials in run up to the 2023 African Games.

”With the concurrence from WA and CAA and in consultation with the Local Organizing Committee through its Chief Operating Officer Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, the GAA is resuming implementation of series coaching and officiating courses around the country between December 2020 and November 2021.

”What is encouraging for Athletics in Ghana is that despite the lengthy list on WA and CAA support to organize Level 1 and 2 officiating courses, Ghana's request was fast-tracked. Permission was granted to organize Level 1 officiating courses in February 2021 and Level 2s in November 2021. GAA extends it profound gratitude to WA and CAA," the statement said.

The statement added that the GAA has had preliminary consultation with the COO of the Local Organizing Committee of the 2023 African Games with regards to the technical support from WA and the certification of running behind tracks to be constructed.

The GAA said they are poised in keeping Ghanaians updated with preparations towards the Africa Games.

Ghana hopes to enjoy its best-ever medal performance when it hosts the 2023 African Games ©GOC

Ghana has set the target of winning its highest-ever medals total when it hosts the African Games for the first time in 2023.

Local Organising Committee chairman Kwaku Ofosu-Asare has urged National Federations to make sure they begin preparations to ensure the country is as successful as possible.

"This is the first time Ghana would be hosting the Games since its inception over 50 years ago and we need to do well on the medal table," Ofosu-Asare told sports leaders at a special meeting, the Government-owned newspaper the Ghanaian Times reported.

Ghana has won a total of 185 medals, including 36 gold, since making its debut at the first African Games in Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo in 1965, leaving them 11th on the all-time table.

At the last Games, in Rabat in 2019, Ghana were ranked 15th on the final medals table.

They won a total of 13 medals, with Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah winning gold in the women’s high jump and the men claiming victory in the 4x100 metres relay.

Ofosu-Asare chaired a meeting of all Ghana’s national governing bodies to discuss preparations for the Games due to take place in Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast on dates to be confirmed.

"We are mainly interested in medals and ultimately to make a huge impression on the continent," he said.

"This is not one of the usual talk shops.

"The Federations have agreed to work with us to serve the interest of athletes, coaches, administrators and the country at large."

By Duncan Mackay 

Precious Okoh Nunana emerged winner of the maiden trophy in the 2020 She Plays Tennis Trophy Challenge.

The second edition of the all ladies tennis competition dubbed" SHE PLAYS TENNIS" which attracted 25 participants ended the Accra Sports Stadium - Accra Tennis Centre.

Precious, a member of the Ho Tennis Club defeated the defending champion, Linda Mercedes Jones. She demonstrated another definitive performance with her unique balls returning abilities to beat Lola Mogaji to lift the trophy.

Babolat Sport Shop, Omo, Zen Garden, Beautiful Beneath among others supported the competition.

Precious Okoh Nunana who received sponsors products and a trophy expressed her joy after lifting her first ever trophy and thanked all who made it possible for her to travel to partake in this competition.

"I am extremely happy for myself after this feat, this is my first trophy as a tennis player, it's a great achievement for, I am now determined to work hard to win more laurels. I also thank everyone who made it possible for me to travel and play in the competition" she said.

"SHE PLAY TENNIS" is an annual tennis competition organised for only up and coming ladies in both the Beginner and Intermediate levels to create awareness and encourage ladies on the benefits of the sport.

Mrs. Catherine Morton, the C.E.O and organiser of the competition articulated the necessity for more females in all professions to join the tennis fraternity to broaden their scopes. She called on other benevolent organisations who wished to offer generously as forms of sponsorships to come on board.

"There is always the need for ladies in all professions to join the tennis fraternity, this I believe will help broaden their scope a d help them in line of sports. I also call on all institutions, corporate bodies and private individuals to come on board to sponsor or partner us in this sports call tennis" she added.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah wrote his name in the club’s history as he became the first African to lift the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup for the Black & Gold.

Crew beat Seattle Sounders 3-0 on Saturday night to win their second MLS championship.

A brace from Lucas Zelarayan and a goal from Derrick Etienne was enough to ensure that Mensah will be lifting the trophy at the end of the game.

Zelarayan’s first goal was assisted by Ghanaian full back Harrison Afful who also had an outstanding season in the MLS.

Harrison assisted the goal that opened the scoring in the #MLSCup final.

Mensah played every minute of the 2020 MLS regular season and was named in the MLS Team Of The Year following his standout performances.

The 30-year-old, who was appointed Crew captain of the club prior to the 2020 season opener, was also very influential in the finals and thanked the fans for their support.

The former AshGold defender assisted the only goal in the MLS Conference Finals and helped his side keep a clean sheet in the final against Seattle Sounders.

Mensah celebrated with Ghanaian compatriots Harrison Afful and Emmanuel Boateng after Crew’s triumph.

Harrison Afful second from left and Emmanuel Boateng at the center all celebrated Crew’s title.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana's world title hope, Jessie Manyo Plange aka ‘The Black Flash’ dominated Alexis Kabore of Burkina Faso and won via unanimous decision after 10 rounds of international bantamweight contest at Floxy place, Lekki AjahEpe Expressway Lagos, Nigeria on Saturday, December 12, 2020.

The undefeated talented and skillful Jessie Manyo Plange (20-0-1, 17 KOs) weighed at 116.8 lbs for the 10-round bantamweight contest on the LPMG Boxing Promotions fight night in Lagos, Nigeria.

His  opponent, Alexis Kabore (28-3, 7 KOs) of Burkina Faso came in heavier at 119.05 Ibs as a sub for Aminu Akintayo in their Saturday night clash, but Plange was too much as he boxed marvelously to also entertained the officials with neat technique.

“Good Professional and Measured performance. Hardly broke a sweat. Good job Manyo, let's see what’s next in the year” said John Marfo of Fight Ready Promotions.

Plange is a former skipper of the national boxing team, the Black Bombers, and has vast experience in the game.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana’s Jonathan Mensah, Harrison Afful and Emmanuel Boateng have won their first Major League Soccer Cup with American club Columbus Crew.

Columbus Crew were crowned the 2020 MLS Cup champions after they defeated Seattle Sounders FC 3-0 at the Mapfre Stadium, in Columbus Ohio.

Ghanaian center back, Harrison Afful grabbed an assist after he set up Argentinian player Lucas Zelarayan who scored the first goal of the game for the Crew.

Columbus Crew dominated the first half as they pressed forward often and remained committed at the back. The team got its second goal thanks to Derrick Etienne who scored in the 31st minute.

Seattle Sounders came close to scoring a couple of times in the second half but were very unlucky in attack.

In the final minutes of the game Lucas Zelarayan grabbed his second goal of the game in the 82nd minute.

Ghanaian captain and defense marshal, Jonathan Mensah led Columbus Crew to win their second MLS Cup. Emmanuel Boateng, Columbus Crew’s 3rd Ghanaian player, was an unused substitute in the game.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Anthony Joshua put up a good performance to dispatch Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds in London on Saturday, and looked up to facing Tyson Fury in 2021 for a unification bout.

The WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion retained his titles by turning on the power switch to drop Pulev twice in the ninth round. It was Joshua's first knockout win since his previous performance on home soil, in September 2018.

According to ESPN report, Pulev crumbled to the canvas under a barrage of right uppercuts and was then finished by a straight right hand.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., the retired former pound-for-pound boxing No. 1, made a trip from the United States to be among the 1,000 present at the SSE Arena and was the first to congratulate Joshua at ringside.

Since halting Alexander Povetkin two years ago, the English boxer lost his titles via a shock knockout to American Andy Ruiz Jr. before regaining them on points a year ago. This was a much more explosive performance from Joshua than the Ruiz rematch, as Joshua floored tough Pulev twice in Round 3 and twice in Round 9 in front of the first crowd at a professional boxing event in the U.K. since March.

Anthony Joshua unleashed a barrage of right uppercuts on Kubrat Pulev before finishing him with a straight right hand. Andrew Couldridge/Getty Images

A second defense in his second reign as world heavyweight clears the way for Joshua to fight either rival world heavyweight champion Fury, his fellow Englishman, or Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk first in 2021.

Fury, regarded as the world No. 1 heavyweight by ESPN after stopping Deontay Wilder for the WBC title in February, would be the preferred choice, but because of mandatory defense obligations, former undisputed world cruiserweight champion Usyk might be the first person in the opposing corner to Joshua in 2021.

"It's not about the opponent -- it's about who has got the belt, and if that's Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury," Joshua said. "It's one fight at a time, picking them off one by one."

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said he wants Fury to be Joshua's next opponent in 2021, despite the obstacles, including legal action Wilder has brought to enforce a third fight with Fury.

"Let's make the Tyson Fury fight straightaway; it's the biggest fight in boxing," Hearn said. "Let's talk more action. It's about legacy and we will get it done."

Fury does not have a fight booked at this time, and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum tweeted his intentions to make this fight after Joshua's win.

"It looks like the stage is set for the biggest Heavyweight championship fight since Ali-Frazier in 1971, when @Tyson_Fury meets @anthonyfjoshua for the undisputed crown," Arum wrote. "We at Top Rank will start on Monday working to put that fight together."

Fury also had a message for Joshua on social media, which will only increase speculation the fight will be made for Joshua's next fight.

Anthony Joshua removes doubt with Kubrat Pulev win, but is he ready for Tyson Fury?

Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs), 31, told ESPN he has worked on his stamina after his clash with Pulev was delayed from taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in north London, in June because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But so, too, had Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs), 39, judging by how he looked. The Bulgarian weighed slightly less than Joshua's 240 pounds, lighter than when he challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the same world title belts six years ago, and that conditioning enable Pulev to get up from two knockdowns in the third round.

After a heated weigh-in, both started cagey behind their jab, and it was difficult to decide who won the opener. But Joshua exploded into action in the third round and dropped Pulev twice.

The champion opened his attack with a right to the temple and Pulev never recovered, turning his back before being given a count. Pulev was sent tumbling back again for another count later in the third after taking a right uppercut. After surviving a third-round crisis, Pulev showed great resilience again in the fifth after taking a straight right hand and responding with his own shots.

But Joshua dominated this fight, even if he was less aggressive and explosive than he was in the third round until the ninth-round finish. Joshua leaned on his jab and movement, staying out of danger while setting up openings for combinations. The end was savage.

"Boxing is about less talk and more action, and I hope everyone was satisfied," Joshua said. "For me, I stuck to what I know best where I'm going to put shots."

Joshua finished Pulev with a classic one-two in the ninth round, after dropping Pulev earlier in the round with a series of right uppercuts. It was a great finish, which surely restores some confidence in Joshua after the Ruiz defeat in June 2019.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori wins first trophy with Orlando Pirates in South Africa.

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori has won his first silverware with South African giants Orlando Pirates after they clinched the 2020 MTN 8 trophy.

Pirates beat Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1 in the finals of the competition on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The Black Stars number kept the posts to ensure the Sea Robbers win the coveted trophy.

Celtic got their noses in front in the stages of the game as Siphelele Luthuli opened the scoring in the 3rd minute.

Namibia international Deon Hotto drew Pirates level in the 32nd minute before Thembinkosi Lorch got the match winner 8 minutes into the second period from the spot.

This is the Buccaneers first silverware in six years after winning their last trophy in 2014, lifting the Nedbank Cup.

Ofori joined Pirates in the summer from Maritzburg United and has since been the number one at the club.

This season's Spanish Super Cup will be played in the region of Andalusia and not in Saudi Arabia in January due to the coronavirus pandemic, El Pais newspaper reported on Saturday.

The Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) agreed a three-year deal worth a reported 120 million euros ($145 million) with the Saudi sports authority in 2019 to expand the competition and play the game in the Middle East.

Real Madrid were crowned champions of the first edition of the four-team competition held in Jeddah in January.

El Pais reported, however, that the Saudis did not wish to hold the tournament until coronavirus restrictions were lifted and spectators were able to attend matches, adding they had agreed to extend the deal with the federation by a year to compensate for the loss in revenue.

The Spanish soccer federation would not confirm the change but said an announcement would be made soon.

LaLiga champions Real Madrid and runners-up Barcelona have qualified for the Super Cup alongside Copa del Rey finalists Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, who have still not played last season's showpiece game due to coronavirus restrictions.

The Super Cup used to be the season curtain raiser, a game held in August between the league champions and Cup winners until the federation voted to expand it in 2019.

The El Pais report said the final would take place on January 17 in Seville's La Cartuja stadium, while the semifinals would be held on January 13 and 14, either in Seville, Malaga or Cordoba.

Spectators are unlikely to be allowed in to attend matches due to ongoing restrictions in Spain.

By Reuters

Mr. Johnson Kwaku Gameli Kportufe, President of the Roll Ball Federation Ghana has been appointed President of Confederation of Africa Roller Basketball (CARB) at the confederation’s ordinary meeting held on Sunday, 18th October 2020.

He is commissioned to develop and promote sports on the continent in the next four years.

Mr. Johnson Kwaku Gameli Kportufe occupies several positions including Joint-Secretary at the Federation International Roller Basketball (FIRB). General Secretary, West Africa Roll ball Federation (WARBF), Deputy Secretary-General of Confederation Africa Football Skating, Deputy Secretary-General of World Skates Kho, President, Roll Ball Federation Ghana and Coordinator of IPTC, Parkour and Kho Kho.

Mr Gameli Kportufe is currently engaging stakeholders to develop Roll Ball in Ghana. He has met some sports journalists and was at the office of the Communications Director of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).

He has plans of meeting top sports authorities to support his initiative of promoting Roll Ball Sports in Ghana.

He said sports is life as sports can cure many sicknesses and make people happy apart from the business and recreational benefits.

He called on schools, colleges and communities to embrace Roll Ball and all the allied disciplines like Parkour and Kho Kho.

By Sammy Heywood Okine