Government to reward Black Stars players and coaches

Accra, July 6, GNA - Government has announced an amount of US$20,000 each as reward to members of the Black Stars, the Coach and his Assistant for their sterling performance and for reaching the quarter-finals stage of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Tournament in South Africa. Each member of the technical team would also receive 10,000 dollars. President John Evans Atta Mills announced the packages on Tuesday when he received and hosted the Stars and the technical handlers and coaches to a luncheon at the Osu Castle in Accra.

He announced that Government has decided to confer national honours on the Stars at a future date in addition to the financial reward. President Mills promised Government's support and encouragement for the Stars so that come the next World Cup tournament in Brazil in 2014, they will get to the very top.

The reception was attended among others by the members of the political divide including those from the New Patriotic Party, the Convention People's Party and the People's National Convention. The Stars lost gallantly to the Uruguayans in a penalty shoot out at the quarter finals stage last Saturday at the on-going tournament in South Africa.

Despite the loss which many football pundits attributed to bad officiating, the appreciative President observed that despite the disappoint of many the Stars have still won the hearts and minds of many Ghanaians and peoples of African descent who love fair play and are objective. President Mills who acknowledged the divine blessings of Ghanaians and the team, thanked God for his blessings and commended the Stars for their sterling performance that brought honour not only to Ghana but the whole of Africa.

He also expressed his personal thanks to the many Ghanaians and the rest of Africa for rallying solidly behind the Stars, as well as the management team, the technical team and the Coaches for the collective efforts in the performance of the team.

"It was a good decision to send Ghanaians to South African to give you the needed support," President Mills said, adding that at the 38th ECOWAS Heads of State meeting at Cape Verde last week when the Stars played against Uruguay, all the Heads of State were solidly behind the Stars. "The penalty kick did not matter, we had won". According to the President, the performance of the Stars has shown what national unity and common sense of purpose could achieve and urged all Ghanaians to get on board and collectively build a 'Better Ghana', so as to make Ghana a better place for all.

President Mills later visited the captain of the Stars Stephen Appiah at the Castle Clinic, who was suddenly taken ill just before the Stars arrived in the Castle Gardens. He wished the Captain a speedy recovery with the skipper saying on a lighter note that it was his intention to seek for the President's support since his presence and prayers was an inspiration to the team to win its group and opening matches.