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Soccer News of Wednesday, 31 July 2002

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Hearts Players Receive ?1 Million Bonus

Champion Club, Accra Hearts of Oak pays a winning bonus of one million cedis to each player when they win difficult matches.

The Chief Executive of the club, Mr. Tommy Okine told the Ghana News Agency Sports desk on Wednesday that the big bonus is management's way of rewarding the players whose contributions make or mar the greatness of the team. He said the one million cedis winning bonus is determined by the strength of the opposition and the circumstances under which a particularly match is played, adding that “a win over Kotoko justifies such payment”.

Mr. Okine said when Hearts drew with Kotoko in Kumasi in a 15th week fixture, management considered their performance par excellence and paid them one million cedis bonuses in order to motivate them sufficiently to conquer all opposition during the rest of the league. The Chief Executive said the trump card of his administration is motivation of players and for that reason, management pay them 600,000 cedis each when they win a home match and they are given 700,000 cedis each when they win an away match.

He said members of the management team do not depend only on gate proceeds to prosecute their programmes but commit their own resources to the cause of the team as their primary objective is to make Hearts the Super Champions of Africa once more. Mr. Okine said it is the wish of his administration to cultivate a cordial relationship with every team in the country as a way of eliminating violence from the sport.

He pointed out that, that would not make them surrender points to any team in the name of cordial relationship. Mr. Okine said “Hearts is a peace loving team and every body who loves peace is a friend to Hearts but when we meet on the field, we shall not lose matches because of friendship”.