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Sports Features of Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Source: Raymond Yeboah

Aduana must be punished

.....for preventing live telecast against Medeama

The attractiveness of English Premier League is based on several factors but the most iconic of them all is the media coverage. Even the Barcelona versus Real Madrid El Classico’s worldwide popularity cannot overemphasize the role of media live telecast.

Live telecast of matches not only promote the league system of that country but publicize the clubs as well. Sad as it is, it’s only in Ghana that some of the clubs restrict media coverage because of their bad antics at league centres.

Aduana Stars, Glo Ghana Premier League champions of barely three seasons ago, have disgraced the professionalism attached to modern day football after preventing media coverage of their Match Day 11 tie against Medeama last Sunday in Dormaa, which clearly is a thing of the past.

The PLB (Premier League Board) need no special committee to punish Aduana for what they did to the Metro TV crew. The excuse that the club did not get any letter from the PLB prior to the incident is baseless. Once Aduana get their share of token when it comes to television rights money payment and the fact that Metro TV are also recognized as an official station assigned to telecast league matches live, the matter of needing a notice before allowing them to do their job is totally unacceptable. Every supposed tough match in the league needs live telecast irrespective of the venue and the Agyeman Badu Park in Dormaa Ahenkro is no exception. Any league venue that restricts media coverage can only be interpreted to mean that they want to win their home matches by unfair means.

I hereby entreat the GFA Disciplinary Committee not to linger on this matter and just come out promptly with the decision of punishing Aduana to serve as deterrent to others. If they want us to believe them, Aduana should have enquired from the PLB whether to allow them to cover it or not when the Metro TV crew appeared at the stadium to cover the match.

Aduana of all teams must set a good example as former league champions for the other clubs to emulate, the more reason why what they did needs outright condemnation.

I am done.