Accra To Host Africa's Biggest Sports Conference

Wednesday 17 October 2007 - Lapalm Royal Beach Hotel -

Danny Jordaan, the man who successfully put together a presentation for South Africa to win the rights to host the 2010 World Cup is heading to Ghana with a powerful delegation in less than 15 days. His visit will see him address Ghanaian and African sports media practitioners. So it is not surprising that with barely three months to kick off Ghana 2008,there is excitement and anticipation ahead of the draw in three weeks time. No doubt most eyes will be feasting on the legends of African Football who will be swarming all over the capital with FIFA and CAF officials leading the way. 48 hours before the draw in Accra,the biggest gathering of sports journalists from Africa will assemble for the 2007 Ghana Sports Media Conference. It will be the single largest gathering of sports media in Africa with over 400 delegates expected to attend.

The La Palm Royal Beach Hotel under the sponsorship of Golden Beach Hotels will host what is being described as a ''grand gathering'' of sports media experts. The conference is an initiative of Plus1 Media in partnership with the BBC World Service and other media partners in Ghana.

Former BBC Fast Track anchor Yaw Ampofo-Ankrah who has transformed television sports presentation with cutting edge concepts on Metro tv has teamed up with other renowned sports journalists to make the conference a genuine platform for sports media practitioners to engage in essential dialogue about the role of the sports media in national development ahead of the African Cup of Nations.

According to Ampofo-Ankrah who is one of the conference navigators, there is no denying the fact that the dedication, hard work and vigilance of Ghana’s sports journalists has in diverse ways ensured that people are adequately informed, educated, updated and entertained. This has paved the way for a gradual and sustained growth of the Sports media industry in Ghana and thus Africa.

Dr. Kofi Amoah – Chairman LOC Ghana 2008, Dr. Amos Adamu - CAF & FIFA Executive Committee Member - Prof Dominic Fobih - Min of Education Science & sports, Martin Davies - Business Development Manager BBC World Service and Suileman Habuba Director of Communications CAF will all address the conference.

Confirming the date for the groundbreaking gathering which comes off on Wednesday 17 October 2007, the organizers say the date is perfect for visiting dignitaries and are confident of massive participation just two days before the draw for Ghana 2008. A key aim of the gathering according to Ampofo-Ankrah is to challenge Ghanaian and African sports journalists to leave a lasting impression as the best journalists in Africa and among the best in the world.

The conference will provide a unique platform for sports journalists, editors, producers, administrators, trainers, policy makers analysts and progressive partners such as CAF, FIFA, local radio and tv stations on the continent to assess themselves and share ideas on how to raise standards in sports journalism in Ghana and Africa.

The conference coordinator, the BBC's Durosimi Thomas said Ghana is a strategic host for several reasons including the fact that the country will stage the 2008 African Cup of Nations in January. Apart from the sports dialogue, the conference will also provide a marketing, business and tourism platform for all stakeholders and sponsors.

Mr. Thomas appealed to media practitioners and communicators to ensure they register early to get a seat and a conference pack. He added that attendance and participation at this conference will be a confirmation the support for, commitment to and solidarity with fellow men and women who will carry the news of Africa's finest football showpiece to the rest of the continent and the world.

The conference which is free will only charge 1OO,000 CEDIS (10 gh cedis) as administrative fee.

SPECIAL AWARDS

This year, as with the maiden edition in 2006, the conference navigation committee has endorsed special awards to be conferred on individuals and companies in recognition of their support and contributions to the development of sports in general and the promotion of the sports media in Ghana.

It cannot be overstated that the dedication, hard work and vigilance of Ghana’s sports journalists has in diverse ways ensured that people are adequately informed, educated and entertained. This has paved the way for a gradual and sustained growth of the Sports media industry in this country and on the continent.

Thus in the relentless pursuit of excellence, it is important not to overlook the efforts and contributions of a prominent few who have made a mark (and continue to do so) in their specialized fields.The names of the Award recipients will be released later.

For more information visit www.plus1mediagroup.com & www.myghanafootball.com

CONFIRMED SPONSORS

GOLDEN BEACH HOTELS - LA PALM ROYAL BEACH HOTEL - PROGENY INC VENTURES- SIKELELE HEALTH CARE - PEPSI - NESTLE

ATL - PARTFRAN CAR RENTAL & TOURS - ATALA LTD - THE HACKMAN FOUNDATION -GREEN GRASS TECHNOLOGY - GRAFITEC -

AFRICA PRACTICE - MYGHANAFOOTBALL.COM - WEBHOSTGHANA.COM - MEGABON -

MEDIA PARTNERS

BBC WORLD SERVICE - OBE TV (UK) GTV - METRO TV- TV3 -TV AFRICA- NET 2- ALL SPORTS -SKYY TV - ENJOY ACCRA - CITI FM - JOY FM