Queens launch appeal for funds

A fund raising campaign in aid of the national women soccer team's participation in the Women World Cup in China was launched at a ceremony in Accra on Wednesday night.

The campaign is aimed at raising six billion cedis to aid the Black Queen's, who have, together with Nigeria's Super Falcons, qualified to represent Africa in the women's version of FIFA world cup slated for September.


Lunching the campaign Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports lauded the achievement of the Queens and appealed to corporate bodies and individuals to come to the aid of the government by contributing to the fund.


" The government alone can not provide all the necessary ingredients to enable our dear ladies conquer the world for the first time and that is why all hands must be on deck to ensure our Queens have the best of preparations for the fiesta," he said.


The minister said the time had come for all and sundry to contribute to the Queens cause in order to avert the normal blames that surround the performances of national teams whenever they fail to glitter.


Mr Ben Koufie, Chairman of the Ghana football Association, (GFA) conceded that ill preparation had been the genesis of the nations non performances in the past and challenged Ghanaians to see to it that the best of preparation is offered the Queens.


'For once, I feel the best must be done in order not to criticise when we could have given them the best of preparations from the onset'.

He pledged the FA's commitment in ensuring that the Queens are put in a better position to bring honour to the nation.


The fund, which according to Mr. Sylvester Mensah, chairman of the management committee of the team, would soon have a registered bank and would see members of its management committee having interaction with companies, individuals and organizations for their contributions.


The fund raising team would also move from market places to the offices, the streets and every where in order to raise the required money to supplement the effort of government, he said.


Under its promotion, L-Sport, official kit sponsors of the Ghana football Association would introduce a coupon along side a raffle to raise funds.


Meanwhile Tin-ifa, a computer company has pledged to offer the Queens a free basic Internet education in addition to creating a wed site for the team.


The lunching which was very well patronised saw newly appointed coach of the Black stars, Burkhard Zeise contributing two million cedis along side other early donors.