Category: Athletic

A five-member para-athletic team has left Ghana for the 2024 Marrakech World Para Athletics (WPA) Grand Prix competition in Morocco.

The tournament fixed April 22-28 would serve as a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The competition would also give an opportunity for the classification of the first Ghanaian Para Athletes in shot put, standing javelin among others.

Other members of the team who have been classified already include 21-year-old Amos Ahiagah, a right arm amputee and he would be competing in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and men’s long jump events.

Whiles 19-year-old Diana Kuubetegr also an arm amputee would be competing in the women’s 800 meters, 1,500 meters events.

Zinabu Issah an experienced para-athlete would also be competing in women’s sitting shot put, discuss throw and javelin events.

They called on corporate bodies to support the NPC National Paralympic Committee of Ghana to enable them to attend other Paris 2024 Paralympic Games qualification events coming up
in Japan, Switzerland and France respectively.

With the support of NPC Ghana, Ghana’s Dr Abena Tannor has qualified as a WPA international classifier and would be one of the doctors to embark on the classification for para-athletes at the event.

The team was sponsored by the President of the NPC of Ghana, Mr. Samson Deen with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Authority.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The date for the highly anticipated 2024 National Paralympic Committee (NPC) elections has been scheduled for Friday, October 4, 2024.

The NPC revealed this information on Saturday, April 20 at their ‘Extraordinary General Assembly’ held at the Airport West View Hotel in Accra.

The NPC members also agreed on their membership annual affiliation fees of GHC 1,000.

Other issues that were discussed included approval of Annual Membership Fees, Approval of new Para Sports Associations, Amendments of Article Two Membership: Sections 1 to 5, among others.

Mr. Samson Deen, President of the NPC commended all federations who attended and urged them to work hard for the development of the sports.

Mr. Evans Opoku Bobie, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, said government was in support of all sports in the country.

He said, ‘government had a vision of an inclusive society and when it comes to the development of sports promotion and development, government must include everybody’.

He also urged the NPC members to s
ettle their different and work together for the development of para sports in the country.

He said, ‘we are aware of the issues happening in NPC family. We are taking every step to ensure that the issues are resolved amicably and quickly so that our brothers who are disabled would have the peace to compete in all competitions.

He also urged the NPC executives to abide by their decisions taken at Congress and work towards their goals.

Source: Ghana News Agency

It was an impressive sweep of medals by Ghana’s youth athletics team as they won 19 medals at the just ended four-Nation Junior Athletics Championships at the Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.

Team Ghana won 12 gold, five silver and two bronze medals making them one of the top ranked sides at the championships.

Prince Yaw Gyasi Adu won gold for Ghana in the men’s U-18 High Jump event likewise Gloria Amoh who also grabbed gold in the women’s U-18 Long Jump event.

Ghana’s athletics team were dominant on the tracks as they won gold in both the men’s and women’s U-20 4X100m relays.

Ghana U-20 women’s quartet comprising Lois Owusu Asantewaa, Naseera Afuah Quansah, Abdulai Sakina and Christiana Amanda Yeboah came first in the women 4x100m relay finals having clocked an impressive 48.56sec.

The men’s quartet made of Joseph Andoh kwofie, Francis Liberty Fantivie, Isaac Sarfo and Abubakar Hamza also placed first with a time of 41.89sec.

Budding sprint star Naseera Quansah won the women’s 200m
finals with an impressive time of 24.51s in the U-20 event.

Aisha Ibrahim and Latifa Haruna came first and third in the women U-18 400m finals in a time of 56.43sec and 1:00.01, respectively.

Joseph Andoh Kwofie and Sarfo Isaac came 1st and 3rd in the men U-20 100m finals in a time of 10.69sec and 10.83sec, respectively.

Source: Ghana News Agency

 The 2023-24 Ghana Premier League entered week 27 with several intriguing matchups.

After a stormy seven-match winless streak, Asante Kotoko defeated league leaders FC Samartex 1996 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Enoch Morrison’s second-half penalty was enough to give the Porcupine Warriors all three points, pushing them further away from the relegation zone and leapfrogging arch-rivals Hearts of Oak in the league standings.

Despite their loss, FC Samartex 1996 maintains its five-point advantage at the top of the table, since Nations FC also dropped points away at Heart of Lions.

Accra Hearts of Oak failed to capitalize on their 3-1 victory against Karela United last week, losing 2-0 to Legon Cities at Dawu Park.

Albert Yeboah scored twice for the Royals, who secured maximum points to move closer to safety.

Nsoatreman FC defeated Bottom-placed Real Tamale United 2-1, reducing their hopes of avoiding relegation this season.

Mohammed Mankuyeli’s first-half strike was enough, as two late second-half goa
ls from Collins Cudjoe clinched all three points for Nsoatreman FC.

Heart of Lions, another team aiming to avoid relegation, defeated Nations FC 3-0 at the Kpando Sports Stadium.

Mohaison Mahmoud, Akwasi Bentil and Nana Kwame Oppong were on the scoresheet for Heart of Lions who are now second from bottom.

Bofoakwa Tano couldn’t capitalize on home advantage as they were held to 1-1 draw by Bechem United at the Sunyani Coronation Park.

Below are some results of week 27:

Asante Kotoko 1-0 FC Samartex 1996

Heart of Lions 3-0 Nations FC

Bibiani Gold Stars FC 1-0 Aduana Stars

Bofoakwa Tano FC 1-1 Bechem United

Real Tamale United 1-2 Nsoatreman FC

Karela United 1-1 Accra Lions FC

Legon Cities 2-0 Hearts of Oak

Great Olympics – Dreams FC (Postponed)

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana’s Maclean Atsu Dzidzienyo won silver medal at the 2024 Plock Orlen Polish Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in Poland.

Dzidzienyo came second after he lost to his Polish counterpart in the final on 7-5, and 6-0.

However, in the female category, Ghana’s Bridget Nartey from the Koforidua Sports club lost her first single match in the competition, though she came back strongly to win two other matches.

Though she did not win any medal, she had gained International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking points to enhance her chances of qualifying for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

In an interview with the GNA Sports, Dr. Henry Larbi, Coordinator of the Ghana Wheelchair Tennis said it was a great performance from Dzidzienyo after the athlete went on break since 2020.

He said Dzidzienyo had gained another ITF ranking points now and Ghana Tennis Federation would continue to support him in such international tournaments.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Supporters of Kumasi Asante Kotoko were able to afford a smile for the first time in eight matches after beating Samartex 1996 by a goal to nil at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday in a match week 27 encounter of the Ghana Premier League.

The last time the Porcupines tasted victory was on March 1 when they defeated Bibiani Gold Stars at the same venue.

Since that match, they had managed to pick only a point from a possible 21, leaving their fans in excruciating pains as they watched their darling club sink down the table week after week.

Even more disheartening was the fact that they lost three consecutive matches at their favourite Baba Yara Stadium right in front of their fans.

Perhaps taking inspiration from their Life Patron who called for an emergency meeting days before the match, the ‘fabulous boys’ demonstrated commitment to overturn the poor results throughout the match.

They made their attacking intent known right from the blast of the whistle as they stormed the half of their guests in search of
an early goal.

As they surged forward in their quest to end their winless run in the second round of the league, Enoch Morrison hit the woodwork with only four minutes into the game.

The visitors responded almost immediately at the other end of the pitch when Evans Osei Owusu forced a brilliant save from Frederick Asare.

Determined to bounce back after three consecutive losses at home, the Porcupines continued to push for the first goal, but found tough customers in the visitors who would not be pushovers.

The league leaders who were also seeking to consolidate their position at the summit of the table had to step up to foil all the attacking threats of Kotoko.

This resulted in an end-to-end action as both teams ran at each other in their attempt to break the deadlock.

They however went into the break with the virginity of the match intact.

Kotoko started the second half just as they did in the first half, making early incursions into the vital area of Samartex.

As they probed for the opener, referee
George Vormawor awarded them a penalty for an infringement on Peter Amidu Acquah in the box.

Morrison made no mistake from the spot as he sent goalkeeper Kofi Baah the wrong direction for the opener.

As expected, Samartex threw more men upfront after conceding but Kotoko stood firm to defend their lines with Asare making some spectacular saves to preserve their lead.

Both coaches introduced fresh limbs as the match entered the 70th minute with so much to play for in the last 20 minutes.

But Porcupine Warriors held on to win for the first time in eight matches, bringing their winless run in the second round to an end at the expense of the league leaders.

Source: Ghana News Agency