Gianni Infantino stressed the important role that Africa plays in global football

ZURICH, Switzerland, February 5, 2021/ -- Thursday, during a call that preceded the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), AU Chairperson H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa and FIFA (www.FIFA.com) President Gianni Infantino spoke of the positive momentum generated between both organisations in the past two years as well as the strong institutional bonds forged between the AU and FIFA for the benefit of the African people.

Reviewing the progress made since both organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2019, the two leaders discussed various topics, including plans to boost African Football with a particular focus on infrastructure (stadia, football pitches), football academies and competitions, but also on the fight against match manipulation, as well as safety and security at football matches across Africa.

The joint #SafeHome campaign from August 2020 between the AU and FIFA, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), where the four organisations addressed the important issue of domestic violence, which was exacerbated by COVID-19-related lockdowns and stay-at-home measures by launching a successful awareness-raising campaign is a further testimony of the close collaboration between the AU and FIFA. A number of Africa-based FIFA Legends supported the campaign via video awareness messages which were distributed on social and traditional media. Both the AU Chairperson and the FIFA President also recognised the opportunities that education through football can bring through the FIFA Football for Schools programme which is being coordinated globally via the FIFA Foundation.

Having visited 35 African countries in the last few years, Gianni Infantino stressed the important role that Africa plays in global football, and how that needs to be strengthened in future. This role has been supported with strong investments via the FIFA Forward programme which has already delivered close to 300 projects across the continent.

The rollout of the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Plan, supporting football across Africa during the pandemic, has also been significant and continues to play an important role to keep football alive in the continent.

Related to COVID-19, vaccination processes will also be crucial in the months ahead. In this respect, the FIFA President reiterated his support for fair access to vaccines for all, a message that he had passed to a global audience earlier this week at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in the presence of the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The FIFA President thanked the AU Chairperson for their continued support, and assured his AU counterpart that the strong relationship forged between both organisations in the past two years will continue when Félix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will assume the role of African Union Chairperson for a one-year term during the aforementioned Assembly, which takes place on 6 and 7 February 2021.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA).

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Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA)

The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has tentatively fixed February 19, 2021 and March 15, 2021 for the Extra Ordinary Congress and Elective Congress respectively.

At its executive board meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2021, members agreed on the respective dates for a roadmap to be laid towards the next Elective Congress.

President of the GOC, Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah said the dates ought to be approved and granted by the government in view of the recent directives on social gathering, organisations of events, conferences etc involving more than 25 people.

He expressed that there is the possibility of virtual meetings, and they will seek advice from the Electoral Commission on the secret voting elections.

His major concern was a free, fair and transparent election in a Covid -19 free atmosphere as the health and safety of delegates are very important to him.

He adviced all sports men and women in the various federations and their leaders to observe all the health and safety protocols, especially training regularly, wearing of face mask, washing of hands under running water, usage of sanitizer and social distancing.

Source – GOC Communications

Madam Elizabeth King, Chairperson of the Women’s Commission of the Ghana Olympic Committee GOC has called for more females qualifications to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

In a exclusive chat on Ghana’s participation at the world’s biggest sports festival, she said it is sad that Covid -19 pandemic hit the world to cause the postponement of the sports festival.

She lamented on the number of Ghanaian females who have so far qualified, at a time when the IOC says about 60% of the qualified athletes have made it.

Madam King, a top hockey star in her hay days urged those who are seeking for qualification in track and field to determine to go all out to make name for themselves and their country.

She said with only triple jumper, Nadia Eke who has qualified, the other female stars like high jumper Rose Yeboah, Debora Acquah the long jumper, 100 meters runner Flings Owusu Agyapong and 4x100 meters team should strive to make it.

According to Madam King who is vice president of the Ghana Hockey Association, and executive member of the continental body controlling hockey in Africa, Ghanaian athletes did very well at the last African Games in Morocco, and expects them to shine again.

“I am very confident some more female athletes will qualify, and my prayer is that they go and come home with medals or praises for their performance” she expressed.

Nine females and seven males represented Ghana at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. The ladies include Szandra Szogedi (Judo), Kaya Forson (Swimming), Janet Ampomah (200m / 4x100), Flings Owusu Agyapong (100m / 4x100), Gemma Acheampong (4x100), Beatrice Gyamam (4x100), Dorcas Gyimah (4x100), Persis William - Mensah (4x100) and Akua Obeng - Akrofi (4x100).

None of them got near the medal zone in Rio, but Madam King is optimistic of a better performance in Tokyo.

“History will guide us to win a medal in Japan” she stressed.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

Welcoming athletes from around the world, IOC President Thomas Bach today formally invited the National Olympic Committees (NOC) of the world and their winter sports athletes to participate in next year’s Games.

The Spirit of the Games - Respecting the spirit that the Games are a sporting event, it is the IOC President who invites the NOCs to the Olympic Games. Given the current circumstances, this was done today from Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC President symbolically signed and sent invitations to eight NOCs, including the Chinese Olympic Committee. The other seven NOCs were the Hellenic Olympic Committee, which is located in the country in which the Olympic Games originated; the NOCs from future Olympic Games host cities – the Japanese Olympic Committee for Tokyo 2020; the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français for Paris 2024; the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano for Milano Cortina 2026, the successor of Beijing; and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee for LA28 – as well as the Australian Olympic Committee and the Nigerian Olympic Committee, which sent the largest delegations from Oceania and Africa respectively to the last Olympic Winter Games. All eight NOCs accepted the invitation via a video message.

Transpires Confidence by Bach's Words - Speaking about this milestone, Bach said: “One year from now, Beijing will write history as the first city ever to host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games. These Games will connect the Chinese people with the world.”

He continued: “Having seen how China is overcoming the coronavirus crisis, we are very confident that our Chinese hosts will ensure safe and secure Olympic Games in full cooperation with the IOC. Every time that I have visited China, I am so impressed by the enthusiasm and support for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. This is why, we can say already now with great confidence: China is ready. Ready to welcome the world’s best winter sports athletes for unforgettable Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. We all are looking forward to this global celebration of sport.”

Social Media Campaign - The digitally-led #StrongerTogether campaign focuses on athletes around the world and their solidarity and progress towards the Games. As part of this, the IOC has published the #StrongerTogether film, which showcases athletes’ preparations for next year’s Games, distributed globally across digital, social and partner media channels. Narrated by Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu, it features iconic moments of past Olympic Winter Games, a glimpse of Beijing 2022’s venues, and self-filmed content from athletes’ preparations, as they get ready to go to Beijing 2022.

A number of digital partnerships will boost interest in this milestone. Twitter will run a unique emoji feature when users tweet @Olympics with #StrongerTogether and the ❄️ emoji; while a special Beijing 2022 filter will be available on Snapchat. Iconic winter Olympic moments will be released daily on the Olympic Channel and @Olympics Twitter, and there will be athlete takeovers and inspirational talks on the Olympics Instagram.

The IOC’s Worldwide Olympic Partners and Rights-Holding Broadcasters will also be activating this landmark over the coming days. Some of the notable activities being organised include the unveiling of a physical countdown clock in Beijing by OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games. In addition, fans will be able to interact live with winter athletes, some on their road to Beijing 2022, through the Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences launched with Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Airbnb.

In China, a One Year to Go celebration show was broadcast on national television. In addition to celebrating this special milestone with a cultural spectacular, the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee also unveiled the official Beijing 2022 torch design. The event was held in the Ice Cube (formerly known as the Water Cube), which will host curling at next year’s Games.

Infrastructure and Sustainability - Preparations for next year’s Games in China remain on track, and excitement is building across the country. All competition venues were completed by the end of 2020, with the remaining renovations and construction to be finished by the end of this year. With the aim of getting 300 million people engaged in winter sports and having received around one million applications for volunteer positions, the Beijing 2022 Games will be transformative for both China and the global winter sports scene. There will be winter sports before the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and a new era of winter sports afterwards. This can already be seen from the numbers. Five years ago, there were only 460 ski resorts in China. This number grew to 644 by the end of 2019.

The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will also have a strong emphasis on sustainability. All venues will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, while natural, low-carbon-emission CO2 refrigeration systems will be used at most of the Beijing 2022 ice venues – the first time this low climate impact technology will be used in China and at the Olympic Winter Games. Furthermore, 7 out of the 12 competition and non-competition venues within the Beijing 2022 competition zone will be legacy venues from Beijing 2008.

Beijing will host the XXIV Olympic Winter Games from 4 to 20 February 2022.

AIPS

Disabled athlete, Yusif Amadu is very sure of making an improved performance at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, after gaining exposure and experience in Rio 2016, where he represented Ghana,

He told Yours Truly, he is sure of placing in a respectable position  at Tokyo.

Amadu who does the high jump and decathlon said it is not easy at all to be a disabled athlete as no support is coming from anywhere to plan and prepare.

According to him, he had to pay his own trip to go and engage in the qualifiers outside Ghana, to the USA precisely, and people are yet to recognize him as an international star or Olympian.

He appealed to the government to support sports men and women, especially the disabled athletes who are capable of winning medals for the nation.

He said it is very sad to watch him train on old mattresses, and called on the sports authorities to get him the right approved training materials, as he can compete and beat many people whose nation’s take good care off.

Amadu has jumped over the qualifying mark of 1.45m in high jump, and now he is jumping over 1.75m, however the world best are jumping 1. 90m and above which he believes he can do better if he gets some motivation and inspiration.

He also called on sports journalists to promote disabled sports and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC).

Other disabled athletes who have qualified to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are blind cyclist Frederick Assor and Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe (Wheel Chair Race), the current SWAG Sports Personality of the year.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

…Coronavirus is real, protect yourself – He says

Ben Nunoo Mensah, President of the Ghana Olympics Committee has urged the public, particularly athletes to strictly adhere to the safety protocols on the coronavirus.

According to him, the virus is wreaking havoc in the country and across the world hence the need for Ghanaian athletes to religiously follow the protocols.

He revealed some persons very close to him have fallen victims to the virus.

He reiterated the need for people to wear nose masks and practice social distancing.

“Covid is very real. I have four friends who have gone away because of Covid. A few friends had and now they are well. They will tell you that this is not something anybody should wish for anybody so please be careful and adhere to the protocols. If you don’t need to go anywhere, please stay home. If you have to go out, please wear your masks and as much as possible, practice social distancing. This is the only way we can cut the spread and be free very soon” he said.

Nunoo Mensah who was speaking at a press conference to announce a scholarship package for talented swimmer Abeiku Jackson expressed the hope that the coronavirus vaccine will arrive in the country and some normalcy will return.

He, however, cautioned that until then, sportsmen in the country should obey the protocols.

“With the rate at which vaccines are being developed, I hope that somewhere in the middle of March or April we should be able to have vaccines in Ghana and hopefully we’ll have our life back”.

ghanaweb

Ghana international Kwadwo Asamoah has completed his move to Italian Serie A side Cagliari Calcio on a free transfer.

The intelligent midfielder who can play in a defensive and attacking roles became a free agent when Inter Milan terminated his contract at the start of the 2020/2021 football season.

After staying at home in the past five months, Kwadwo Asamoah had interest from a number of clubs in England, Germany, Turkey, and Italy.

Deciding to stay in Italy where he calls his second home, Kwadwo Asamoah has signed a short contract with Cagliari Calcio on the back of successful talks.

“Cagliari Calcio announces that it has acquired the right to Kwadwo Asamoah's sports performances: the player has signed a contract that binds him to the Club until the end of this season,” the Italian Serie A side has announced this evening.

Kwadwo Asamoah, 32, in the past won many trophies with Juventus and has a lot of experience in the Italian top-flight league having also spent time at Udinese at some point.

At  Cagliari, he will be expected to add quality to the squad list of the team to help the side escape relegation at the end of the season.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Former Ghanaian athlete, Leonard Myles-Mills, has opened up on setting his personal best record of 9.98 seconds in his career.

He was the first Ghanaian to break the 10-seconds barrier in a sprint event in the 1998 African Championship.

Myles-Mills now retired said setting the record came with a lot of hard work and determination.

The record lasted for over 20 years before it was broken by Christian Coleman in 2018.

Speaking in an interview on Happy FM’s Special Program, “Where Are They”, Myles-Milles revealed that winning the race came with some complications after the sprint.

“Going into that competition, running under 10 seconds was not a factor because the previous year, I made a good time under very difficult weather so the following year my goal was to train harder and remain fit.

“I felt pains all over my body. It was very difficult I will say. I held the record for over 20 years before it was finally broken by Christian Coleman”.

He also disclosed how he started athletics at a tender age.

“I started athletics at Shukura, Dansoman 1 and 2 primary school. I remember back in class 4, I informed my teacher, Mrs Tetteh that I can run better than the other athletes so that’s how I started”.

“When I moved to Accra Academy, my brother was already there with some friends so he advised me to take athletics seriously. I later became a sports prefect. It was fun”

What to know about Leonard Myles-Mills?

He ran a personal best of 9.98 seconds for the event in 1998, becoming the first Ghanaian to break the 10-second barrier.

His best of 6.45 seconds for the 60 metres is an African record. Myles-Mills twice represented his country at the Summer Olympics and also at the Commonwealth Games. He was a two-time NCAA Men’s 100 m dash champion while running for Brigham Young University.

eTV

 By Raymond Ackumey

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah has tasked the management and playing body of high flying Accra Great Olympics to go all out to win the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League (GPL) title.

"Great Olympics won the Ghana League in 1970 and 1974; making it three this season will be an icing on an eventful season that has seen you brush aside the two glamorous clubs in the country – Hearts and Asante Kotoko."

Mr Adjei Sowah made the call when he led a group of three Municipal Chief Executives who are also supporters of the club - Boye Laryea for Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly and Dr Emmanuel Lamptey, the Ga Central to donate a cash amount of GH¢10,000.00, balls and ball boys jerseys.

Mr Sowah reminded the playing body that winning the league was not beyond them and urged them to be focused and confident to make their fans happy.

"Playing in Africa is our desire, we want to see Great Olympics at the continental level and as a group, and we must work to ensure that you achieve just that."

He said Saturday’s win over Hearts brought joy to the club’s supporters, adding that a sustained performance will earn them more support from the fans.

The AMA boss pledged to mobilise all true faithful of the ‘Dade’ family to come and contribute to the forward march of the club.

"We will make sure Great Olympics supporters everywhere come together to support the management, technical team and playing body to achieve successes."

Mr Adjei Sowah urged management to distribute the jerseys to the club’s ball boys, adding that, “ball boys the world over become footballers and in the case where it happens here, they will first consider our club.”

By Ben Church and Aleks Klosok, CNN

(CNN)Athletes and officials will not be required to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in order to take part in this year's Tokyo Games, organizers announced on Wednesday.

It comes as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published its first version of the Tokyo 2020 "Playbook" which outlines the rules and safety regulations that will be put in place later this year.

Whilst not a prerequisite to participation, the IOC said it would still encourage and assist individual countries to vaccinate their teams ahead of arrival.

"This is to contribute to the safe environment of the Games, but also out of respect for the Japanese people, who should be confident that everything is being done to protect not only the participants, but also the Japanese people themselves," organizers said.

The "Playbook" says everyone attending the Games will be required to download the Japanese government's contact tracing app and must outline every activity they intend on doing during their first 14 days in the country.

Athletes will be encouraged to minimize social activity in Japan and must provide a list of all those they expect to have close contact with.

Additionally, athletes and officials will be asked not to use public transport without permission and face masks must be worn at "all times" except when eating, sleeping or when in an open outdoor space.

The IOC said hugging, high-fives and handshakes should be avoided and spectators should refrain from singing or chanting their support.

Failure to comply with the rules and regulations could lead to athletes being barred from competition.

In addition, there will be temperature checks whenever entering an event and athletes should expect regular testing throughout their time in the country.

Everyone flying to Japan must provide proof of a negative test within 72 hours of flying. Anyone displaying symptoms within 14 days of flying must not travel.

"The health and safety of everyone at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are our top priority," said IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi.

"We each have our part to play. That's why these Playbooks have been created -- with the rules that will make each and every one of us a sound, safe and active contributor to the Games."

It is still unclear whether fans will be allowed to watch the Games, with confirmed Covid-19 cases still surging across the world.

On Wednesday, organizers said a decision on the number of overall spectators permitted within stadiums and from outside of Japan will be made by spring.

Two updated further versions of the "Playbook" are expected to be published in April and June.

The Games are currently scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The Paralympics are scheduled to take place August 24 to September 5, 2021.

Selina Wang and Junko Ogura contributed reporting