Greater Accra Region honours sports personalities

The Greater Accra Regional Sports Authority has organized its second annual awards to honor outstanding and distinguished staff and other stakeholders in sports.

Kwames Amponfi Jr. the Acting Regional Sports Director said in spite of the near - ritual and persistent problem of non- availability of funds that usually bedevils activities of the Directorate, they rose to the challenge of successfully executing the regional sports development mandate as was captured in their Action Plan.

He mentioned some of their achievements in the past year, such as implementing French language lessons for coaches, the first ever Peer Review Programme where participants benefitted from a talk from Doctors Prince Pambo of the NSA Medical Directorate and Opata, an HIV AID expert s well as the renovation of the Tema Sports Stadium offices and environment.

According to Kwame Amponfi Jr. internally generated funds of 5,835.10 ghana cedis was paid to the National Sports Authority by the Regional Sports Authority.

He said the region chalked numerous successes with various sporting disciplines and sports men and women, especially in Tennis, Goal Ball (Blind Sport), Rugby, Weightlifting, Volleyball, Athletics, Handball,Kickboxing, Basketball, Female Juvenile Soccer, Golf and Wheelchair Tennis which Maclean Atsu Dzienyo was exposed as a participant in the 2013 Afri an Wheelchair Tennis Championship in Kenya where he was ranked fourth and again qualified for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil

Maclean who won gold recently in South Africa during the International Open Wheelchair Racing 42 kilometer race on February 15th 2014 was rewarded by the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

Hon. Julius Debrah, the Regional Minister commended Kwame Amponfi Jr and his staff for the hard work and vision to recognize and motivate workers through an awards ceremony.

“The Greater Accra Sports Authority continue to be the trail blazer in motivating, instilling confidence as well as boosting the morale of its staff through rewarding hard work” he said.

He expressed that the contribution of sports in society can no longer be underestimates sports is a tool for social change, fosters national cohesion and projects important values of life such as determination, target setting, achievement, fairness, friendship, and honesty in the lives of the youth can not be under rated.

He noted that it is absolutely important that government recognizes and appreciates the contribution of the gallant sports administrators and athletes in the development and promotion of sports in the Greater Accra Region in particular and Ghana in general.

Hon. Debrah advised the Regional Directorate to put all hands on deck to help secure other forms of funding such as corporate sponsorship, and urged the media to trumpet the gains of the Regional Sports Directorate to attract potential sports investors and sponsors into the region.

The Overall Best Regional Worker as taken by an Administrative Officer, Edmond Appiah with Maclean Atsu collecting the Overall Best Disabled Athlete.

Most Dedicated and Disciplined Coach went to Basketball coach Edmund Kpeglo, Most Innovative Regional Coach went to Emmanuel E.T. Sabutey, Best Coaches went to Henry Quansah Afarku and Amuzuloh K. A.Salim, with Best Groundsman / Labourer going to Fred Owusu.

The Best Metroplolitan / Municipal and District Sports Director wa won by Jeff Owusu Manzan of Tema Metropolitan Assembly.

Some of the region’s hard working sports discipline chairpersons and coaches were rewarded, such as: Hajia Zenabu Akoto (Tennis), Patrick Nortey Dowuona (Handball), Paul Atchoe (Volleyball), Frank Awuku (Hockey) and Chris Dark Amankra (Athletics).

Among the Special Meritorious award winners were Norbert Amefu (Taekwondo), Ben King Lekey (National Service), Wilfred Osei Parmer (Tema Youth Football), Ahmed Nkrumah & Ahmed Gambo ( Amidaus Professionals Fooball), Delali Eric Senaye, Rabeh El - Eter & Omar El – Eter (Inter Allies Footaball), Juliana Arkoh (Weightlifting), Augustine Agbozo (Taekwondo), Martha Korroe Bavon (Volleyball), Issac Nortey (Tennis) and Sulemana Tetteh (Amateur Boxing). They received cerificates of merit and cash prizes.