Former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Lightweight Champion, Emmanuel “Gameboy” Tagoe (31-1,15 KO’s) will take on American boxer Mason Joseph Menard (36-4, 25KO’s) on November 27, 2020.

The bout scheduled for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, United States of America (USA) would see the highly-rated Ghanaian boxer take a step closer in his quest to annex the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Lightweight title.

Tagoe has been in Miami over the past months where he had been preparing for the bout and would be seeking to continue his impressive winning streak against the 32-year-old American boxer.

“Game Boy” is ranked the world’s ninth-best active Lightweight boxer by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Tagoe, over the past months, was supposed to fight Denis Berinchyk of Ukraine in a final eliminator but the highly anticipated bout hit the snag.

Menard on the other made his last debut in the ring against Travis Hartman in August 2019 where he recorded an impressive unanimous decision win.

Multiple Lightweight championTeofimo Lopez officially made the leap to the top ranks after dispatching Mason Menard in just 44 seconds into the first round.

Source - GNA

The Ghana Football Association (GFA), on Friday, November 05, 2020 launched the 65th Ghana Premier League season and other products of the Association.  The launch took place in the studio of Broadcast partner, StarTimes and broadcasted live on StarTimes Adepa Channel 247 and Max TV.

"We are on the precipice of a new football season. It is a time that many have longed for in the last ten months. I look forward to the familiar feeling of anticipation, anguish, joy, passion and all other emotions that football is known to unearth in all of us. President Kurt E.S Okraku said at the launch

"It will be recalled that the local league kicked-off on 29th December, 2019 amidst fervent anticipation and support from all stakeholders.

"The GFA recorded a total of 133 games that were played during the Premier league matches; 310 games in the Division One League, 56 games in the Women’s Premier League and 75 games in the FA Cup until the global pandemic abruptly shut down all forms of football and contact sports in Ghana.

"It is no secret that the last football season was truncated because of a virus that proved itself a formidable adversary to the existence of the human race" President Simeon-Okraku added

Other speakers on the night were, Madam Hilary Boaten, Chairperson of the Women’s League Management Committee and Mr. Akwasi Agyemang, Chairman of the Division One League Committee.

The National Division One League is expected to kick off in December 2020. While the MTN FA Cup and Women’s Premier League kick off in January 2021.

The GFA also unveiled the official song of the Ghana Premier League, entitled ‘Our Own’, composed by Ref Gee, a new kid on the block.

GFA COMMUNICATIONS

Ghana Premier League official broadcast right holders, StarTimes has assured the football fraternity of its commitment to providing top quality coverage of the Ghana Premier League in the 2020/2021 season.

Following as many as 10 months of inactive football in the country, a new season is finally set to commence this month.

At the official launch of the season today, Mrs. Akorfa Banson who is Head of Marketing at StarTimes Ghana has emphasized that her outlet will put in the needed effort to provide the best coverage for the upcoming Premier League campaign.

“For we at StarTimes, it is the only league that matters.

“This is our own. Let’s cherish our own. The only league that matter is back on StarTimes”, Mrs. Akorfa Banson said at the launch telecasted on Max TV.

In the new season, StarTimes has noted that they will invest over $1 million dollars into the coverage of the Ghana Premier League.

The leading pay-TV operator has also confirmed that 5 lives matches will be available on StarTimes on Matchday 1 of the season.

Source ModernGhana

President of the GFA Mr. Kurt Okraku has announced at the Max TV Studio on Thursday evening that the winners of the 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League will take home 250,000ghc plus the trophy, 40 gold medals and shopping voucher from Melcom Ghana worth GHS10,000.

Launching the competition, he made known that 150, 000ghc and 40 silver medals will go to the runners up and 80, 000ghc and 40 bronze medals will be taken by the third placed club.

He said all the 18 Premier League clubs will receive GHS10.000.00 as seed money for preparation for the season.

Winners of the Division One League (DOL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) will also take home handsome cash prizes, medals and sponsors products. The teams will also be entitled to shopping vouchers from Melcom Ghana

The GFA President thanked their sponsors and partners namely, MTN, Macron, Decathlon, Melcom, InterCity STC, Nasco, Puma and StarTimes.

With the launch out of the way, all is set for the opening weekend of the Premier League which is scheduled for the weekend of November 13-15.

The last football season had to be suspended in March as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Later, in June, the season was canceled following a ban on the sport by the government to help stop the spread of the virus.

After 10 months, a new football season is about to begin with the country’s football governing body tasked to ensure all safety protocols against the Coronavirus is strictly enforced in accordance with the guidelines provided by the government.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Vijay Badri and Rashadinho Salu of Voques International have paid a courtesy call on the handlers of Attram De Visser Soccer Academy and toured the world-class facility in Accra, Ghana.

Mr Vijay Badri is a scout and partner to Voques International, an European-based player recruitment agency in Rotterdam, Holland.

At the training session held at Attram De Visser Soccer Academy pitch on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, both men commended the president of the Academy Godwin Attram, the technical and management teams, and the entire staff for a great job done.

"I really like what I have seen here this evening especially the performance of the players. They are technically and tactically brilliant. Their quick ball passing, the skill of interposition play, pressing ability, and vision at goal shows clearly they are being trained by Ghanaian Football legends Godwin Attram and Eben Dadzie he added.

He urged the boys to continue working harder to achieve their career dreams which he believes will come in no time looking at the standard of play.

He praised the goalkeeper Richard Appiah, Nassiru and Martin for their sterling performance during Tuesday's training and promised to be at Mcdan Town park to watch them in their pre-season friendly match against Prestige Fc on Friday, November 6, 2020.

He later received an official autographed training jersey from president Godwin Attram.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Six beneficiaries of the MTN Bright Scholarship programme have graduated with first class honors from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Education and University of Cape Coast respectively.

These beneficiaries were supported by the MTN Ghana Foundation through its Bright Scholarship Scheme to pursue degree programs in various disciplines. The scholarship covered their cost of tuition, accommodation, a stipend for books and other relevant reading materials that were needed during their studies.

Mr. Samuel Appiah (B.Com Finance), Elvis Attah (B.Sc Biochemistry), Francis Chempa (B.Sc Information Technology) and Seth Kofi Pobee (B.Sc Physician Assistant Studies) all graduated from University of Cape Coast whilst  George Armeyaw (BSC Integrated Science Education) and Robert Atim Annab graduated from University of Education and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology.

In his valedictory message as the best graduating student of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,  Robert Atim Annab said “my special thanks goes to MTN Ghana Foundation for the award of Bright Scholarship, As someone coming from a less endowed background,  I would not have achieved this great success without their financial support.”

Commenting on this remarkable performance, the Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng said “MTN Ghana Foundation is proud to see how well our beneficiaries are doing. We are very excited about their future and we believe that all of them will work towards contributing positively to society”.

The MTN Bright Scholarship was initiated in 2018 and was in fulfillment of a commitment MTN made to Ghanaians during the commemoration of its 20th Anniversary in 2016. During the celebrations, MTN, through the MTN Ghana Foundation promised to award a total of 300 scholarships over a period of three years. The final batch of 100 scholarships were awarded this year for the 2020 edition of the Bright Scholarship scheme.

The MTN Ghana Foundation has over a 12-year period awarded over 1300 scholarships to students from basic school to the tertiary level through different scholarship programs.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Ace musician, Lady Jay says she has burnt down the door “of no return” and Africans should now think about preserving their liberty and heritage, knowing that they can also do much for the world.

She revealed to yours truly in an exclusive interview that she is inspired by strength, courage and bravely as she wants to give an impression Yaa Asantewa, the great Ashanti Queen who led and fought racism and colonialism,

She said it’s a song of emancipation.

“It’s a story about loving ourselves and believing in ourselves, and encouraging each other – empowerment” she expressed.

She said Africans are royals; Kings and Queens, so they should believe in themselves and know that they are not ordinary people as they can determine to achieve.

“I am happy to realize my dream as a musician and glad to be the first artiste in Ghana to fly on stage, I feel amazing and I thank all, the production crew, dancers and fire eaters who supported me” she added.

According to Lady Jay, two more singles are ready- ‘Marry You’ and ‘Social Media’ so there is more music and video coming up from the Wahala Studio for people who love good sound.

“My Album entitled ‘This is Africa’ will come out pretty soon, I am presently working on it, I thank Wahala Entertainment for the massive support” she disclosed.   

The international songstress said many lessons can be learnt from the video, ‘Fire’ which is now on @vevo and YouTube.

She encouraged people to watch and acknowledged all her fans, friends and family who have supported her in different ways.

She revealed that anger also moved her to do ‘Fire’ as she hates racism and wants people of all pedigree and ancestry to live in harmony and adoration.

Her latest video was premiered at the 4SyteTV Mansion in Accra on Sunday, November 1, 2020. It attracted some distinguished personalities, media and bloggers.

The video ‘Fire’ is now on @vevo and YouTube, https://youtube/AZSXE-2a4hm

Stream or download Fire by Lady Jay: https://ditto.fm/ladyjayfire © Wahala Entertainment 2020 - www.wahala.net

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Togo have withdrawn from hosting the upcoming WAFU ‘B’ U-20 championship.

According to a statement from the Togo football federation, the decision has been taken due to the rising cases of the deadly Coronavirus in the country.

The tournament was set to commence on November 14 and end at December 2, 2020.

Safety and Security officers for the 18 Premier League clubs will undergo a one-day training programme on Thursday, November 05, 2020 at the GFA headquarters in Accra.

The training is part of preparations towards the smooth take-off of the 2020/2021 football season.

The training is in two folds, theory and practical lessons, to be spearheaded by the Chairman of the safety and security committee, D.S.P Emmanuel Asante.

GFA COMMUNICATIONS

The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), on Saturday October 31, 2020 inaugurated its Northern region branch with a short but impressive ceremony at the Pioneer Lodge in Tamale.

The inauguration which was performed by national President Kwabena Yeboah brought together about 40 sports writers and broadcasters from across the region who were all inducted into the membership of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana ( SWAG).

An interim Regional Executives chaired by Osman Hafiz were sworn into office with a two-year mandate to lead the region into an elective congress.

The rest of the interim executives are Abdulai Abdul Majeed – Vice Chairman, Abubakari Yussif – Secretary, Ibrahim Adam – Deputy Secretary, Mumuni Abdul Mumin – Treasurer, Mohammed Mutaka – Organiser and Sey Mubarick as the P. R. O, respectively.

Present at the ceremony were national exco member Ohene Brenya Bampoe, Regional Football Association chairman Alhaji Rhyzo and Shaibu Adam Wilberforce.

Before the inauguration, the SWAG leadership paid a courtesy call on the Tamale Chief Daa Kpema Fuseini Bawah.

The Northern region which is the 6th regional branch to be inaugurated by SWAG after Volta/Oti, Ashanti, Bono, Eastern and Western Region, is becoming a vibrant sports media landscape with over 30 radio stations, 2 television stations and print media with correspondents for national newspapers and portals.

SWAG, the umbrella body for sports journalists in the country, has been in existence for over 52years is noted for honouring sports excellence annually through the SWAG Awards and the SWAG Cup which is often contested for, by the top football clubs in Ghana.

Source : www.swagghana.con