The 11th Annual Security Services Sports Association (SESSA) Games is set to commence over the weekend with the hockey competition pushing off on Friday morning at the ultra-modern National Hockey Stadium in Accra with two matches in the women's category.
The multi sport event held each year for the Nations's Security Services has been christened "Consolidating Security Through Sports" for the year 2009 and is being hosted by the Ghana Police Service. The other competitors are Ghana Armed Forces, Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Prison Service and Ghana Immigration Service. All the institutions except the Ghana Immigration Service will compete in the hockey event.
The SESSA institutions contribute a substantial percentage of national athletes in all disciplines and usually engage in fierce but healthy competition to determine who will hold the bragging rights in the various sports discipline and indeed the overall winner accolade for the one year period.
CEPS are defending hockey champions in both men and women's event and are set to face fierce competition this year from the hosts Police Service with the nation's top cop, Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye putting in place measures to ensure the clean sweep of medals and the retaining of the overall winners accolade. This year's hockey competition unlike previous ones will be supported by the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) who have inconsultation with the SESSA Board appointed a Technical Director (TD), his Assistant, an Umpires Manager and other officials to oversee the competition in accordance with the rules of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The GHA will in collaboration with some of its partners provide other support forms to ensure the hockey event is organised to international standards and is a memorable one for the competing athletes. Louis Tengey, FIH Graded International Technical Official will be the TD and will assisted by African Hockey Federation Graded Technical Official Richard Bayitse. The Umpires Manager will be FIH Grade 1 International Umpire Richmond Attippoe. The 6 member umpires' panel will include two FIH International umpires and will be led by FIH Umpire George Mensah. Joyce Datsa and Frank Mensah will take up the Judges duties during the event.
In relation to the match schedule, the ladies event will push off at 08:00hrs with Prisons coming face to face with Ghana Armed Forces while title hopefuls Police battle star-studded Ghana Fire Service. In the afternoon, the men's event pushes off at 14:00hrs with defending champions CEPS commencing the defence of their title with a clash with Ghana Armed Forces. At 16:00hrs, title hopefuls Police will take on Prisons in the finl match of the day.
