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Sports Features of Thursday, 23 November 2017

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

The drama of Sports Cul's 'father chrismas' financial package for Ghana football

Sports Cul promised to invest heavily in Ghana football Sports Cul promised to invest heavily in Ghana football

I am not a Christian but I know Christmas is only celebrated in the month of December and that is the only time Father Christmas comes out and make kids happy with fascinating things.

Well, we are seven days from the month of December and about 32 days to the exact day of Christmas but "Father Christmas's is already in town and is already fascinating Ghanaians with outrageous giveaways.

The new Father Christmas in town, Sports Cul Ghana Limited is dashing over $120m into the development of football alone in Ghana over a period of three years; that is $44m a year.

I hope you now understand why I mentioned Father Christmas because he is the only one who is known for such miraculous miracles.

I have always noted that Ghanaians are believers in miracles but this miracle seem more than we expected.

When I received the letter of invitation to attend the press conference of Sports Cul Ghana Limited on Tuesday at their East Legon office in Accra, little did I expect that Ghana is in for another miracle.

Communications Coordinator, who was an astute sports journalist and now a lecturer, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare announced to the amazement of all who were present that his outfit, in partnership with an unnamed group in UAE are splashing a mind-blowing amount of $44m a year into the development, packaging and coverage of the Ghana Premier League, the GN Bank Division One League and the National Women's League to ensure it reaches international standards.

Everyone present at the event, apart from members of the Sports Cul management team, was startled and completely taken aback. I was personally flummoxed and flabbergasted at the mention of the figure.

Nobody was able to applaud Sports Cul impulsively until the speaker asked 'Won't you clap for such a great thing to happen to Ghana football?'

I believe a package that will see players in the Ghana Premier League receiving GHC2000 ($500) as monthly salary, coaches taking home between GHC5000 ($1700) and GHC10,000 ($3400), Division One and Women's League players receiving GHC1000 ($250) a month and journalists and supporters swimming in a package of $1.6m a year is obviously an eye-popping one and deserves a Father Christmas to champion it.

Just as the package was being announced, my mind had started running up and down like an anxious husband whose wife is in labour, considering the Father Christmas nature of the package and how realistic it could be.

Of course, it could be real but how feasible it it? Why was no member of the football association present at the event? Why was the name of the partner from UAE kept away from the media and above all, what does the provider of such a mouth-watering package look forward in return from the Ghana FA, the clubs, players and coaches?

I asked a question during the Q&A segment, wanting to know why no one from the Ghana FA was present at the event. The answer was not appealing but for the sake of time, we took it like that.

I have been struggling to understand why someone will like to pay the school fees of my only daughter without my consent. Similar experience appear to be happening here in this latest dramatic financial support package.

Calls made to the Ghana FA after the event indicated that they were totally at sea with the development and more importantly how Sports Cul intends to distribute the said amount of money they are dashing out is unknown to them. Authorities at the FA say they only heard it in the media.

Just like someone said at the event, 'This is too juicy to be true' - but how could Sports Cul even decide to dash out all these monies to the clubs to give our football a huge facelift without the consent and approval of the mother body of football in the country, the FA? Why was the FA neglected in all this? I am saying this because high authorities at the FA have denied knowledge of the said deal increasing the endless doubt about the Father Christmas cash-dash support.

But one thing which, on the other hand, gives a little bit of optimism about the entire drama is the involvement of certain personalities who have built an appreciable level of reputation in the country like Gbese Mantse Nii Ayi Bonte former Hearts Board Chairman and now a board member of Sports Cul Ghana Limited and Dr. Kwaku Ofosu Asare, a former broadcaster and now a lecturer.

The entire package is dramatic and all fingers are crossed as the drama keeps unfolding.

But is it not possible that such a deal is announced to whet the appetite of Ghanaians of a highly competitive league which has seen a huge financial facelift so that the FA becomes a point of public ridicule if they kick against Sports Cul? If not, why then do they announce such a package with the involvement of the FA?

Is it also not possible that it is true the money is available and someone wants to cushion Ghana football? But if it is so, what is the interest of the person or the group doing that? What do they stand to gain from splashing such huge breathtaking cash into our football?

What do they want from the clubs? What do they want from the players and the coaches? Will they sign any contracts with the clubs and the players and coaches? If they will do, will they be permitted by the FA to do that?

Inasmuch as I am a poor man does not mean you can start renovating my house without my notice. Why would you want to pay for the educational expenditure of my daughter without informing me and based on what are you doing that?

Let's keep thinking as the drama of the new Father Christmas in town unfolds.

Though my name is Sheikh Tophic, you are free to call me the doubting Thomas for once with reference to this huge package as I strongly doubt how and why such huge money is to be splashed on our clubs for NOTHING in return. Honestly, I doubt.

NB: It's exactly a year today when Sports Cul Ghana Limited announced that mouth-watering financial package for Ghana football. They promised to start dashing out the money in February 2017, but we are in November 2017 and their offices have even disappeared.