June 4, 1984

Sports

Odizor back at Wimbledon

Nigeria's tennis star Nduka Odizor, will participate in this year's Wimbledon Championships beginning on June 25 to July. The Chairman of the Nigeria Lawn Tennis Association (NLTA), Alhaji R.A. Adejumo, announced in Lagos that the Nigerian tennis star will take part in three other major tournaments as part of his preparation for the Wimbledon championships.

The championships are: the Queen's Club Tournament, Bristol Tournament and the Burkingham Tournament. Nduka Odizor is now ranked number 53 in the men's singles in the world. In a just concluded Forest Hill tournament in New York, Odizor paired David Dowlen to beat the pair of Jose. Fernandez and Tate at 7-6, 7-5 to win the 18,000 dollars first prize.

N102,000 realised for Olympic Games

Over N102,000 was realised at the Anambra State Olympic Fund Raising ceremony in Enogu.

The state government donated N50,000 to swell the purse of the fund. Speaking before the launching, the National Chairman of the committee, Chief M.K.O. Abiola said the fund is not only to sponsor the athletes to Los Angeles for the games but to provide infrastructural facilities for sporting activities in the country.

He said that part of the money realised would also be used to erect an Olympic office that would befit the country.

Chinese sports equipment

The Chinese Ambassador in Ghana, Mr Jia Huaji, has presented a number of sports items to the National Sports Council at a ceremony at the Accra Stadium.

The items include 20 footballs, 10 basketballs, 100 dozen of badminton shuttlecocks, 40 badminton rackets, 50 badminton racket strings, 4 badminton nets, 500 table tennis balls, 39 table tennis bats and 10 sets of table tennis nets and net shelves.

Mr Jia Huaji said the presentation which came from the state commission for physical Culture and Sports of China was made under a cultural co-operation agreement signed between the two countries.

He expressed the hope that the equipment presented on the eve of the Olympic Games would be of use in the course of Ghana's preparation for the Games.

African hockey contest in Malawi

Ghana's national hockey team, the Black Sticks, are preparing for a six nation African tournament in Blantyre, Malawi. The junior national side is also preparing for the eighth nation tournament in Rabat, Morocco.

Meanwhile the following have been selected for the national side. They are A.K. Danso, G.M. Dzansi, George Armah, K.D. Asante, Ben Peterson, Eric Nkansah-Dwamena, Anane- Frimpong and Richard Akpokavie.

Others are Winfred Sakey, Ivan Sackey, Sam Aboagy, Opoku Agyeman, Amoa-Ababio, Robert Quaye, Mante-Akrofi, Isaac Boamah, Martin Asare, Eugene Marfo, Ayensu and Laryea.

Match of the month

The Nigerian Football Association plans to invite teams from outside Nigeria every month to play against local club sides at international friendlies. This competition will be called 'match of the month' according to a statement issued in Lagos by the NEA

Invitation to Thailand

Ghana is to take part in the Second Thailand invitation Youth Football Tournament in Bangkok from June 1 to 16.

A Ghana Football Association (GFA) press release in Accra said the invitation which has already been accepted by the GFA is open to players under 20 years. The GFA has therefore decided to pick its team from the Second Division Clubs to serve as an incentive to players in the division.

New coach for Kotoko

Arrangements have been concluded in London to assign Mr R. Heckman, a former England international footballer and trainer of English Football Association's national youth football team as the new coach for Asante Kotoko football club, the dethroned Africa soccer Club Champions.

After signing an agreement with Mr Heckman on behalf of Kotoko, Mr Kofi Andoh of the London University said Mr Heckman's contract is renewable every six months.

He said the English coach would be leaving Britain soon to start training with Kotoko.

Mr Heckman was the national coach for Kuwait, a team he took to the 1982 World Soccer Cup championships. He was nominated by the English Football Association following Kotoko's request for an English football coach

Ghana's league table

Okwahu United beat Accra Hearts of Oak to maintain their leadership of the Ghana football premier division league. After five weeks of the competition the positions are as follows:

Okwahu on 8 points, Wise on 6 points and Hearts, Olympics and Kotoko tied on 5 points