Sports
Top British stars to tour Nigeria
John Fashanu, the Nigerian footballer currently playing for the British club Millwall, is organising a tour of Nigeria and Zimbabwe by black British footballers in June this year.In an interview with African Concord, Fashanu disclosed that the team is to comprise fifteen star players, including his senior brother Justin, two other Nigerian players John Chiedozie and Emeka Nwajobi, Garth Crooks, Cyril Regis and Laurie Cunningham.
The proposed tour, which is in conjunction with Fashanu's anti-racist activities, is also coming after his recent announcement that he was approached by the South African authori ties in an attempt to induce him to play in Sun City, South Africa.
The deal, which would have earned Fashanu N350,000 in the one year contract, was also wrapped with a promise to telex to a numbered Swiss bank account N250,000 of the sum.
According to Fashanu, when he turned down the offer from the South Africans, whose identities he had verified as a prominent South African businessman and a leading government figure, they warned him to forget the entire conversation and on no condition discuss it with anyone. Meanwhile, the Federal Military Govern- ment has commended him for his stand on the issue.
'Get on or get out'
National Sports Council officials in Ghana have received the "get in or get out" ultimatum which has almost become synonymous with New Year messages from the Youth and Sports Ministry.Mr Amarkai Amarteifio, Youth and Sports Secretary, said while his ministry appreciated the constraints under which the NSC operated, the sporting situation where volunteers produced the sporting results entirely, would not be tolerated.
The NSC has become the targets for attacks at end of year reviews without any correspond- ing action. As an institution, the Sports Council has always been bogged by administrative blunders, throwing many sporting programmes out of gear.
Okwahu back on top
Okwahu United are poised to go places this season. The Nkawkaw Club, dubbed "soccer mountaineers' recaptured the top spot on the Ghana First Division league table with a 2-1 victory over Arnold Warriors.Defending champions Hearts of Oak and Real Tamale United failed to find the net in Accra. In Kumasi, Kotoko and Cornerstone set up a thrilling 90-minute duration without a goal.
Eleven Wise and Goldfields settled for a goalless draw at Sekondi, Hassacass lost 1-2 to Zebi but Great Olympics managed to salvage part of their waning reputation with a lone goal victory over Venomous Vipers.
Mama drops to sixth spot
Prince Mama Mohammed, who lost in his World light-heavyweight championship clash Commonwealth handball with J.B. Williamson of the United States, has dropped from the number two spot to sixth on the World Boxing Council ratings.Mama, who trains in the same gymnasium with the new world champion, is currently holidaying in Ghana.
He is expected to fly back to Los Angeles to defend his United States cruiserweight title next month.
Running backwards for records
Two world records and a place in the Guinness Book of Records have made Freddie Adoboe a house-hold name in the United States - all for running backwards.The 22-year-old Ghanaian holds the world record in both the 100 metres and 100 yards. He was timed at 14 seconds and 12.9 seconds respectively in the two events at Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club meeting in the United States.
His times were 0.4 and 0.3 seconds faster than the former record, recorded by Paul Wilson of New Zealand in Tokyo. A former student of Aggrey Memorial Secondary School, Cape Coast, Adoboe's remarkable feat was recorded in July in 1983.
Samaranch hails Africa
The head of the Olympic Movement, Juan Antonio Samaranch, has paid tribute to the growing maturity of African nations despite what he called provocation by supporters of apartheid. Addressing the General Assembly of the Association of African National Olympics Committees (ANOCA), Samaranch noted the successes achieved since ANOCA was formed four years ago..Although he did not name racially divided South Africa, IOC sources said Samaranch visits by overseas sports was referring to union tours, teams, particularly rugby arranged by the white-ruled Republic during the build-up to the recent Olympics.
He said the aim of such visits was to deceive Africa into excluding herself from competition 4 4 1 3 0 2 19 - as was the case in 1976 when African 3 1 203 1 8 nations walked out on the eve of the Montreal Games in protest at the presence of new Zealand, which maintained sports links with South Africa.
But although South Africa still sought to arrange such visits in the few remaining sports in which it had not been banned from the 1 2 0 7 4 international arena because of its apartheid policies. Samaranch said African nations now refuse to be manipulated.
Nigeria tops Commonwealth Handball
The Nigerian sporting scene began on a brighter note this year when it clinched the maiden under-19 Commonwealth Handbal Trophies for boys and girls.At the championships, held in Manchester, England, between December 28 and January 4, the Junior Hoppers of Imo won the girls' trophy and the Sokoto team the boys' crown. According to reports, the 16-member Hoppers team narrowly defeated the English Team A 11-10 in the preliminaries and then walloped Scotland 30-2 and the English Team B 26-10.
In the girls' final, the Junior Hoppers edged out their closest rival, England Teram A, 10-8 to lift the coveted cup.
West Africa vs Britain
Seven Nigerian professional players have been named to feature in the 10-man West African team to play against Great Britain in this year's sixth Benson and Hedges International Golf Tournament, taking place at the Ikoyi Club in Lagos between January 13 and February 2, the non-playing captain of the West African team, Matthew Jacob, has announced.The captain said that the Nigerians, Peter Akakasiaka, Tony Uduimoh, Bello Seibidor, David Owoyemi, Paul Osanebi, Jacob Omoruah and Usman Yusuf, would be joined by James Lennie of Sierra Leone, Bakarey Smatey of the Gambia, and Jeff Quarshie of Ghana.
On West Africa's chances at the competition, Mr Jacob said that he was very sure that West Africa would beat the visiting Britons.
"There has been a lot of improvement in the past years. We beat them in 1984 and played a draw last year. I cannot see them beating us again," he added.
FIRST DIVISION LEAGUE TABLE
TEAMS PWDLFA PWDL FA PtsOkwahu 4 2 2 0 6 3 3 1 2 0 3 1 10
Kotoko 3 3 0 0 11 4 0 2 1 1 2 9
R.Utd 3 1 2 1 6 4 4 1 3 0 2 1 9
Corners 4 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 2 0 3 1 8
Hearts 4 1 3 0 4 2 3 1 1 1 2 2 8 2 3
Gt. Oly 3 0 2 1 1 2 4 2 2 0 6 4 8
Vipers 4 1 3 0 4 2 3 1 1 1 2 2 8
Warriors 3 1 2 0 2 0 4 0 3 1 3 4 7
Zebi 4 2 1 1 4 2 3 0 2 1 3 4 7
Wise 4 1 2 1 3 4 3 0 2 1 0 4 6
Hasmal 3 1 2 0 4 1 4 0 1 3 1 7 5
Goldfields 3 1 1 1 2 1 4 0 2 2 1 6 5
Dwarfs 3 0 3 0 1 1 3 0 1 2 0 7 4
H. Stars 3 1 1 1 2 3 3 0 0 3 0 3 3
