Celebration of 100 years of football in Ashanti Region postponed

Kumasi, March 27, GNA - The Ashanti Region's event of the celebration of the 100 years of football in Ghana was on Friday postponed to April 23. It is the second time that the event, which was designed to bring together veteran footballers, football stakeholders, sportsmen and women of all ages and the public was postponed due to poor organisation and patronage.

Mr Ebow Quansah, President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) and a Committee member of the celebration expressed disappointment about the postponement of the programme for the second time in the Ashanti Region.

In an interview with the GNA Sports, Mr Quansah said Ghana football was 100 years old in December last year for which similar programmes and events had already been launched in Tamale and Sunyani.

He said the event would be launched in the Volta and Greater Accra Regions after the Kumasi event later this year.

The President of the SWAG said the event was being celebrated in all the Regions to enable the Ghana Football Association (GFA), SWAG, veteran sports enthusiasts and other stakeholders to interact. He said the event was also to serve as a platform to assess sports development in the country, the problems associated with its development and to solutions to the problems so as to raise the standard of sports to its prime level.

Mr Quansah promised that a well organised event would be undertaken the next time round, adding that, "I am going to do a lot of ground work and put in much effort to make it successful in Kumasi the next time round". Mr Ben Koufie, Chairman of the GFA in a short address, noted that the country had achieved a lot in terms of sports, though there was set backs over the years.

He said if countries like England were able to move their football to the professional standards that they have now attained, then Ghana too stands a chance of also taking football to a higher level. "It is therefore wise that we postpone this programme because Ashanti Region deserves a better presentation to the 100 years of football in Ghana celebration".

Mr Koufie expressed the hope that the Black Meteors, the junior national team will win Sunday's match against the young Chipolopolo of Zambia. 27 March 04