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US-based Ghanaian teen boxer supports surgery of little girl

THIRTEEN-year-old juvenile boxer Joseph Awinongya Jnr has pledged to support young Paulina Anokye to undergo spinal surgery.

The US-based young pugilist, Awinongya  Jnr, who is also a philanthropist would financially support Anokye to undergo surgery to remove a spinal tumor which had affected her mobility and eventually thrown her into paralysis.

Little Anokye, a native of Kwadaso in Ashanti region, was diagnosed with spinal tumor at age four when she started experiencing immobility in her left fingers.

Anokye, due to lack of finance to correct the defect, has resorted to herbal treatment which further deteriorated her condition affecting her right arm and both legs, rendering her paralysed.

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Awinongya Jnr, also known as Jojo saw the deteriorating condition of  the little girl on YouTube on and with the help of his Dad, Joseph Awinongya Snr, has decided to reach out and support.

“I showed the video to my dad and he asked me to choose between getting a Play Station 5 which I so much desire to have and supporting Paulina with the funds. I chose to help Paulina and forget about the Play Station because her condition gradually is killing her because of money,” Awinongya Jnr stated.

Jojo would pay for her medical assistance fees and give an undisclosed amount for her up-keep for four months after her surgery at  the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where she has been booked for surgery on today.

Jojo also appealed to the general public here in Ghana and in America to support Paulina financially to enable her go through the surgery and her recovery process successfully .

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He expressed appreciation to Jim Muisenga General Manager of Hawk Chevrolet of Joliet, Secretary of State Illinois Jesse White, Roger C. Claar the Mayor of Bolingbrook, Lori Lightfoot Mayor of Chicago, Joliet Mayor Bob O’ Dekirk,Isaac Agyapong Ansere MBA, CPA, Real Estate Broker and Emmanuel Hatzi X’s & Os  Sports Bar for their support with his projects and development as a boxer.

As part of their support to nuture young talents in the country,Awinongya Snr is working to invite another amazing juvenile boxer Hakeem Nii Nortey Lokko, who is also trained by his father Carl Lokko (Owner and headcoach of Bronx Boxing Club and Technical Director of the Ghana Boxing Authority) to Chicago to exchange boxing lessons and to be part of Jojo’s his ongoing documentary.

Jojo, who is currently rated number one and two in the 90lbs and 95lbs divisions in America, has won almost all competitions he has participated. He has shown superb exhibition of boxing artistry, rare display of boxing IQ, academic excellence and has become the toast of many in Ghana and Chicago where he lives with his family.

BY MICHAEL D.ABAYATEYE

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We look forward to working closely with you for sports development …NSA staff tells Kofi Adams

Kofi Adams
Kofi Adams

 The Staff of the National Sports Authority (NSA) says they are ready to work closely with Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation.

The staff, in a statement, congratulated Mr Adams for a successful vetting process following his appointment by President John Dramani Mahama.

“Your leadership comes at a crucial time when the image and leadership of the NSA is at its lowest ebb in the eyes of the general public, and we are confident that your vision and commitment will bring remarkable progress to the NSA in particular and the sports sector in general.

As key stakeholders in the administration and development of sports, we look forward to working closely with you to advance policies and initiatives that will uplift sports and recreation in our nation.

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We trust that under your stewardship, the NSA, which is the technical wing of the Ministry and thus clothed with the responsibility and mandate to implement sports policies and programmes of the Ministry, will enjoy empowerment through impartial resource allocation, capacity building, human and infrastructure capacity development, as well as constant engagement and consultations regarding sports and all related matters,” the statement said.

The NSA staff also assured the Sports and Recreation Minister of their full support and commitment as they strive to achieve sports excellence. –GNA

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 GFA, police must bite harder

Kurt Okraku —GFA President(lieft), Dr George Akuffo Dampare - IGP(right)
Kurt Okraku —GFA President(lieft), Dr George Akuffo Dampare - IGP(right)

 If there is a particular group of sports fans expected to learn bitter lessons from hooliganism associated with football, then that must certainly be Ghanaian football fans.

On May 9, 2001, Ghana was hit hardest by what has come to be known as the May 9 football disaster where a total of 126 football fans lost their lives on a chilling evening.

These fans had gone to the Accra Sports Stadium to watch Ghana’s version of the ‘el clasico’ involving Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

However, a referee’s decision that didn’t go well with a section of the fans sparked trouble at the Osu Cemetery end of the stands, resulting in police intervention which went in excess.

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Eventually, that huge number of football fans with families and several responsibilities perished, leave that dent on the nation’s sports calendar which is observed every year with a wreath-laying ceremony.

Twenty-four years down the line, events on the football scene suggests that a section of football fans have learnt no lesson from the incident despite the many calls each year to nib that practice in the bud.

Fans continue to misbehave at match venues and take the law into their own hands by causing damage to properties.

Tomorrow is exactly a week when another infamous incident occurred at the Nsoatreman Stadium where the home team, Nsoatreman FC defeated Asante Kotoko by 1-0.

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It did not come anywhere near the 2001 incident though, but happenings on the field that led to the death of a Kotoko fan was bad enough to plunge the football fraternity into a sombre mood.

Guided by that history, one would have expected the fans to exercise restraint irrespective of the provocation since there are sanctions to deal with offenders.

Eventually, a husband, father, uncle and many others was murdered in cold blood.

It brings to the fore the challenging circumstances under which football is played in Ghana with security being one of the major headaches.

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Reports from some sections have revealed close to 150 police personnel were expected for the match but on the match day, the security presence was nothing to write home about.

And, apart from the Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast and Essipun Stadia in the Western region, there are no other facilities good enough to ensure a proper security arrangement.

Most of these venues are fenced with wire mesh which can cave in when fans go on a rampage or under the least pressure.

As if that is not enough, some of these security personnel watch unconcerned when some of these violent acts go on.

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As a result, every life in the stadium is endangered when pandemonium breaks out. With such danger looming, football becomes unattractive to many.

Sadly, the FA’s Club Licensing Board have gone ahead to approve some of these venues to host matches.

And with some particular venues gaining notoriety for such incidents, perhaps, this should force the FA to crack the whip.

But since no sanction can be equated to the life lost, it was time the FA employ new mechanisms to make the league very safe for fans.

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In Ethiopia and other countries, the leagues are played in a little over three safe and secured venues which practically served as home or away venues for the clubs; even if they are not the original venues.

What this requires is that on match days, games would be divided into two or three groups and shared to the number of venues available.

As is done in Ghana already, match day games can start on Fridays and end on Mondays. In this situation, there would be maximum security to forestall any fans trouble, seeing the numbers of personnel around.

It is surely one of the ways to curb hooliganism which is gradually making the game in Ghana very unattractive and unpopular.

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Moreover, it is sad the FA has been hanged and crucified in this manner for a decision of a few football fans to misbehave to put the image of the game in opprobrium.

Being the organisers of the game, the FA cannot escape blame because some concerns about lack of adequate security at venues have not been attended to wholly, apart from the closure for a few days.

Football may be on an indefinite break for now but when it returns, the focus should be on the clubs without secured venues because there are always the trouble grounds.

For those to be identified in the entire brawl, this must be the time for the FA to prove that it has the teeth to bite.

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 By Andrew Nortey

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