Sports
Ghana's soccer season ends
The 1985 football season in Ghana has ended with Accra Hearts of Oak and Sekondi Hascaacas emerging the candidates for Ghana's club international assignments in Africa next year.Hearts having retained the League cup will make the seventh attempt in the cup for champion clubs and Hasaacas, the FA cup holders, will enter the race for the cup winners cup for the second occasion. Their debut in 1982 was on the strength of their second spot in the league as there was no FA cup contest that season.
Incidentally, both Hearts and Hasaacas won their honours this year on the shoulders of former Africa champions Asante Kotoko. For Hearts it was their narrow 1-0 victory over Kotoko in the last fixture of the league in Kumasi that won them the crown. Kotoko were so close to their heels that if the Kumasi club had won that match they would have snatched the cup from Hearts with superior goal difference.
Hasaacas, who narrowly escaped relegation, caused a stir by beating Kotoko, the holders, 2-0 in the Cup Final on July 1, Republic Day. The Sekondi team parading a youthful side completely outran the fabulous club and a goal in each half by Ollabody Williams and Henry Acquah, both members of the junior national team, won the day for the 'Giants of the West' the FA cup for the first time.
This year has seen Kotoko's worst show at Accra Stadium for years. They were beaten 2-0 by Hearts in the opening match of the season and significantly beaten again 2-0 in the last match of the season. What a stylish way to flop. In between these defeats Kotoko drew twice with Zebi and Olympics. The only victory was a 3-2 close shave over Corners in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.
Now Kotoko's only chance to save their reputation is to advance in the African Cup Winners Cup where they have a quarter- final match against F.C. Leopards of Kenya in September.
On the other hand, if Kotoko fail to win, they will represent Ghana in the Eyadema Cup, West African Football Union (WAFU) competition.
Call for basketball facilities in all states
The chairman of the Handball Association of Nigeria, Col. Ishola Williams, has called on state governments to provide facilities for the game in state capitals and in local governments to bring handball to the grassroots.Col. Williams, who was speaking at the opening of this year's under 18 national junior handball championships in Akure, said that an under-16 competition would be introduced in the country next year.
He said that the game which was introduced in the country in 1978 had grown to be the most popular among Nigerian youths, adding that it had become the main sport for discipline, industry, national awareness and integration among them.
Athletes accuse press
Nigerian home-based athletes have accused the local press of discrimination in the run- up of events leading to the All-Nigerian Open championship in Ilorin."When I opened the papers before the Open, all I read was about foreign-based athletes. It wasn't like this in the past. With all the publicity given to invited athletes like Chidi Imo, how do you expect anybody to aspire to beat him" complained Mbenefo Akpon, winner of the 110m hurdles and runner-up in the high jump event, who spoke on behalf of the home-based athletes.
Two other athletes, Iyabo Ayayi, a graduate of the Ogun State College of Education, who won the women's 800m finals and Mathias Mancham, who clinched the 5,000m, are also not happy with press coverage of the Games.
Libya hold Black Stars
Ghana's national team, the Black Stars, were stretched to a goalless draw in their World Cup Africa Zone first leg combat with Libya before thousands of disappointed home fans at the Accra Sports Stadium.The result put pressure on the Ghanaians who now face the daunting task of over- powering Col. Gaddafi's men in Tripoli to be sure of getting nearer to their goal.
Four times champions of Africa, the Black Stars have never qualified for the most glamorous event in global football. To overcome this jinx, the Ghana Football Association invited all Ghanaian professional footballers to strengthen the team.
Ghana met Libya twice in the 1982 African Cup finals in Tripoli. The first match ended in a 2-2 draw with the Black Stars snatching the equaliser in the 90th minute. Ghana and Libya were a goal each at full time in the finals but the Ghanaians snatched the trophy 9-8 on penalties.
Two Sunyani teams relegated
Two teams which finished the first division competition at the bottom of the ladder have been relegated to the second division. They are Bofoakwa Tano and Brong Ahafo United, both based in Sunyani.A Ghana Football Association (GFA) statement which confirmed the relegation exercise said it had been carried out in accordance with Article 25 of the Bye-Laws of the game.
It said two second division clubs which will come up champions and runners-up in a special promotions exercise, will be promoted to the first division.
Obeng steals the show at UK championship
Ernest Obeng, the veteran Ghanaian sprinter said to be over the hill, was back to form this weekend.Obeng sped past top performers like Darwin Cook of the United States and C. Imo of Nigeria to win the United Kingdom Amateur Athletics Association champion- ship at Crystal Palace in London. He clocked 10.44 secs.
Obeng was the centre of controversy at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when he was pulled out from the 100 metres event and later dismissed from the Ghanaian contingent for what the Ghanaian officials labelled gross indiscipline.
At the end of the competition, both Mr Samuel Ansah Okyere, leader of the con- gingent and Mr Adjin Tetteh, head of Ghana's athletic technical team, were relieved of their duties in the Ghanaian sports council.
Asantehene asks Bawuah to continue
Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the Asantehene and Chief Patron of Fabulous Asante Kotoko, has instructed that Mr Ernest Yaw Bawuah, chairman of the club, should remain in office until the end of Kotoko's African Cup Winners campaign.Graphic Sports, an Accra weekly published by the Graphic Corporation, quoted an inside source as saying that Otumfuo's directive was to ensure peace and tranquility during the club's campaign.
Mr Yaw Bawuah was due to step down at the end of Ghana's football season to pave the way for fresh nominations to run the affairs of Ghana's most popular club.
Mr Bawuah was appointed Chairman in 1981 for a four-year period. Already there have been a lot of manoeuvres by top ranking followers of the club for the post of chairman.
