…Supports National Player Awards 2013 in style

Preba Greenstreet, Corporate Director of Guinness Ghana Limited has assured Ghanaian football fans of the company’s commitment to the development and promotion of football.

Speaking at the launch of the 2013 Guinness National Player Awards which comes off at the Banquet Hall on June 15, 2013, she noted that it is a pride for Guinness to support football which they has been doing for more than a decade.

She said Guinness was very proud to be the headline sponsor of the event and adviced people below 18 years of age not to take alcoholic drinks.

Mariam Akiki, Marketing Director of Shield Paints, who were the event sponsors last year said she was extremely delighted to be part of the National Player Awards and supported the notion that a country that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for.

Mr. Kurt Okraku, the Executive Secretary of the NPA and CEO of Proton Sports Services, the event organisers said they were rewarding football stars who have excelled and proved to be dedicated to the national cause.

He hinted that the list of nominees arrived after a careful and diligent work done by a panel of judges for the awards.

According to the former GHALCA Administrative Manager and Sports Presenter, the main aim of the awards was to say “ayekoo’” to the old stars who did their best to get Ghana’s name high on the international pedestal and also motivate active players to also give of their best when national duties call.

He said even though the awards were for all the national teams, there would be no honours for the local Black Stars and the current Black Meteors as they were yet to engage in any competitive matches in the year under review.

Black Stars’ best performers at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Wakaso Mubarak, Rabiu Mohammed and Fatau Dauda, have been nominated for the most valuable player at the second National Player Awards (NPA) slated for Saturday, June 15, 2013.

Black Stars midfielder, Rabiu Mohammed, also earned a place among the nominees to challenge his teammates for the Black Stars Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

In addition to the nomination for the MVP award, Wakaso — who made his Nations Cup debut at the South Africa tournament earlier this year — will also pick the award for the team’s top scorer.

Africa’s first medalists in football at the Olympic Games, Black Meteors, will also be honoured with the Old Generation Award in recognition of their achievement at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona where they finished as bronze medalists.

The 1998-99 team of the Black Queens will also receive the Old Generation Award for being the first senior team to take Ghana to the World Cup.

There would also be no award for the top scorer for the Black Queens as none of the players scored the minimum of three goals required to be nominated.

The other nominations are: Black Starlets: Top scorer: Emmanuel Boateng ,MVP nominees: Emmanuel Oti, Thomas Agyapong and Kingsley Fobi, Black Maidens: Top scorer: Jane Ayieyam

MVP nominees: Priscilla Okyere, Sherifatu Sumaila, Jane Ayieyam, Black Princesses: Top scorer: Eiizabeth Addo, MVP nominees: Elizabeth Addo, Mercy Myles, Janet Egyir, Black Queens: MVP nominees: Janet Egyir, Leticia Zikpi, Edem Atovor.

Awuley Quaye, captain of the 1978 Black Stars who won the African Cup for keeps said the NPA was a good programme that will motive players who play for the national team to put in all their efforts to win laurels for the nation.

Alhaji Ibrahim Sunday who also played wonderfully in the 1970s and was named CAF Footballer of the year praised the organisers for their vision to support retired players and prayed that other corporate bodies will join to make the event grand.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Joseph Yamen promised that the Ministry fully backs the NPA and appealed to the media to help promote the event.