by Silas Boahene | Jul 10, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, International, Other Sports
The 14th edition of the Korean Ambassador’s Taekwondo Championships (KAC) is set to take place on July 27, 2024, at the Trust Sports Emporium. This event aims to select and prepare junior athletes for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal in 2026.
Organized by the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) and sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the inter-regional championships will feature athletes aged 13 to 17 competing in Kyorugi and Poomsae. The competition will include five weight categories for each gender in both juniors and cadets kyorugi. Athletes will vie for medals, selection, and the accolade of overall best athlete.
Registration for the 14th KAC, which opened on June 20, will close at midnight on July 15, 2024. A Referees Seminar is scheduled for July 15, 2024, at the Korean Sports Complex.
Under the theme “Mission to Senegal 2026 Junior Olympics,” the competition is expected to be intense, featuring participants from the ten regions where the GTF operates. The best region will also be recognized. For convenience, organizers have arranged transportation to and from the venue for athletes and coaches.
by Silas Boahene | Jul 10, 2024 | Africa, Boxing, Ghana
Mohammed Amin Lamptey, PRO and Communications Director of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), has called on promoters and matchmakers to provide young rising boxers with challenging opponents who can test and bring out their best.
“Winning cheap or arranged bouts will not make you a world champion unless you face and beat the best,” he stated.
Lamptey, a Public Relations and Media lecturer, criticized the prevalence of fixed bouts in Ghana Boxing, stressing that this is not what fans want. He praised Ayitey Powers Promotions for their matchups, featuring fighters like Freezy Mcbones and Baubali against Soldier Boxer.
As a ring announcer, Lamptey highlighted that boxers like Stanley Nyantekyi (Ashanti Warrior) and John Zile need to be tested by strong opponents, not veterans like Akuffo Addo and Isaac Nettey, who are past their prime. He emphasized that boxing should always be treated as serious business and urged matchmakers to provide fans with competitive and attractive pairings.
Lamptey expressed his hope that the upcoming third Ghana Professional Boxing League will be competitive and exciting.
by Silas Boahene | Jul 10, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, International, Soccer
As part of efforts to support juvenile and women’s football at the grassroots level, Soccer For Dreamers will hold its annual donation exercise on Friday, July 12, at the office of the Ghana Football Association (GFA). The initiative, in partnership with the GFA, will include health talks for the footballers and the presentation of football equipment to their clubs.
This year’s event, the third since the initiative began in 2022, will feature five women’s teams from the Greater Accra Region, four male teams from the Eastern Region, and one disability team from Kumasi.
Rationale:
Explaining the rationale for selecting the beneficiary teams, the President of Soccer For Dreamers, Mrs. Sylvia Akwaboah, emphasized the initiative’s goal to support as many teams as possible. The inclusion of the disability team highlights its all-inclusive objective.
“The main aim of this initiative is to support all players everywhere, irrespective of where they are. For the first time, we will also have a disability team benefitting because we have been following the exploits in disability football and we are excited to provide our widow’s mite to support them,” Mrs. Akwaboah said.
Event:
Since its inception, the partnership has educated female footballers on menstrual hygiene, distributing menstrual cups to support and help the players. Male footballers have benefited from health talks on diet, injuries, and general well-being.
The initiative was started by three brothers, Baruch, Jed, and Kayden Akwaboah, who play school soccer in the USA. It is their way of supporting young footballers in Ghana who dream of making something meaningful out of the sport.
Participating Teams:
- Male Teams: Agenda FC (Shai Hills), Fiakonya FC (Somanya), Young Believers (Dodowa), D-shooters FC (Odumse)
- Female Teams: Teshie Constant Ladies, G.R.A Ladies, Halifax Queens, Immigration Ladies, Sissamba Ladies
by Silas Boahene | Jul 10, 2024 | Africa, Athletics, Europe, Ghana, International, Other Sports
Ghana is set to send nine athletes to the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, competing in track and field events and swimming. Representing Ghana in the track events are Abdul R. Saminu (100m / 200m), Benjamin Azamati (100m / 4x100m), Joseph Paul Amoah (4x100m), Isaac Botsio (4x100m), Fuseini Ibrahim (4x100m), Edwin Gadayi (4x100m), and Rose Yeboah (High Jump). In swimming, Joselle Alice Mensah will compete in the 50m freestyle, and Harry Stacy will participate in the 100m freestyle.
Team Ghana will be accompanied by 11 officials, including coaches, medics, federation heads, and a press attaché. The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) will also be present. The team will undergo a two-week training camp in Strasbourg before moving to the Games Village in Paris on July 21.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11. Historically, Ghana has secured five Olympic medals since 1960, consisting of one silver and three bronze medals in boxing, and a bronze medal in football.
by Silas Boahene | Jul 9, 2024 | Africa, Ghana, International, Soccer
Asamoah Gyan has revealed his consistent advocacy for Black Stars games to be held at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
The former Black Stars captain explained that while Kumasi is regarded as the ‘spiritual home’ of Ghana football, he frequently urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to host matches there due to his strong connection to Kumasi Asante Kotoko and the people of Asanteman.
“Because I love the club, I made sure that we played Ghana matches here,” Gyan stated in an interview with Kumasi-based Pure FM. Gyan, who participated in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups, remains the country’s all-time leading goal scorer and announced his retirement from football in June 2023.
Gyan had expressed his admiration for the Porcupine Warriors, stating that he had hoped to play for the club before retiring. Unfortunately, injuries hampered his dreams, and he ended up playing for Legon Cities before hanging up his boots.
Looking ahead, the Black Stars’ 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers are expected to be staged at the Baba Yara Stadium, as it is the only venue in Ghana that meets the standards set by CAF and FIFA. In these qualifiers, Ghana will compete in Group F alongside Angola, Niger, and Sudan.
