Trustees Dominate Exchequers


GAHA 2001 Mobitel knockout champions Trustees of SSNIT completed their domination of arch-rivals Exchequers of Bank of Ghana during the 2001 hockey season with a 4-3 win via a pulsating penalty stroke competition in their champion of champions match played at the national Hockey Pitch on Saturday. By this third victory in as many matches, Trustees have sounded a loud warning to their local rivals that they intend to dominate the quest for the gold in the forthcoming African Hockey Federation’s Africa Cup for Clubs Championship competition to be staged in Accra in late April this year. Trustees have been confirmed alongside Exchequers by the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) to be the representatives of the country in the men’s division of this prestigious annual competition.

The game was pushed-off by Exchequers who tried an immediate incursion into the scoring area of Trustees with a 2-man combination between Armah and Cudjoe. The attack was foiled, but the Bankers! kept probing and deservedly won the first penalty corner of the game in the 3rd minute. Goalie Adolf Adjei was called upon to pull off one of many saves he had to make during the match. The game kept swinging from one end of the pitch to the other as both took turns to build and foil attacks. In the 15th minute, Cudjoe, playing an unusual role at the top of attack turned experienced defender Sam Ofosu inside out with some superb stick work only to fouled heavily by Nartey in the circle for a penalty corner. Nartey was lucky to get away with the offense without even a caution. The resulting penalty corner was intercepted by the defense of Trustees who initiated an attack of their own. The Exchequers midfield repulsed the attack and with one swift move, made an incursion into the left side of the Trustees half. A fierce cross from the right wing saw Daniel Lamptey finish-off with a classic dive in front of goal leaving the goalie staring for the first goal of the m! atch in the 19th minute. The goal gingered the Bankers and infuri ated the men from the Trust who turned-on the heat to try to redeem the goal. The Bankers held on till the end of the first half. On resumption of the second half, Trustees showed more aggression and carried the game to their opponent. They however had to wait till the 43rd minute for Boateng to finish-off a move from midfield for the equalizer. The match then became a ding-dong affair with no team claiming any dominance. At the end of 70 minutes, the penalty-stroke competition was evoked to determine the champion of champions for the year 2001. Trustees goalie Adolf came out big saving 3 of Exchequers penalty strokes as against 2 by his opposite number thus giving the men from the Trust the opportunity to lift their second trophy of the season and retain the bragging rights for the seaason. Hockey followers who came along to watch the game can only look forward to a bigger showdown of the two giants of Ghana Hockey as they vie for honors and seek to effect a power-s! hift in the African clubs hockey competition from the Egyptian club Sharkia. Umpires Louis Tengey and Emmanuel Ahadjie officiated while Owuraku Lomotey and George Mensah manned the Technical Table

Extinguishers Spoil Reformers’ Victory Party


Ladies’ double champions Reformers of the Ghana Prisons Service were served their own recipe when perennial runners-up in the ladies’ division Extinguishers of Fire Service beat them by a 1-0 margin courtesy a Bea Darko strike in the 47th minute. The match, played as a ceremonial game, was part of activities to climax the end of a successful hockey season organized by the Greater Accra Hockey Association. The game provided a preview of what is to be expected when the two clubs, who have been confirmed as Ghana’s representatives in the ladies category of the Africa Cup for Club Champions, take on the rest Africa’s ladies teams in Accra in April 2002.

Multi Babies Prevail Over GAHA Babies


Pepsi Juvenile hockey champions Multi Babies were once again dragged into a penalty-stroke competition by GAHA Babies to determine who were the super champions in the juvenile category. Multi raced into a 2-0 lead by the 10th minute courtesy 2 penalty strokes by Morrison. GAHA came back strongly in the second half and pulled one back in the 40th minute through Asante. Sowah leveled the scores in the 50th minute as Multi looked visibly rattled. GAHA should have carried the day but over elaboration and erratic shooting in front of goal robbed them off any goals. After 2-2 drawn game within the regulation time, the penalty-stroke competition was evoked which Multi won by 2-1 to bring the final score to 4-3 in favor of Multi Babies.

Dignitaries from various institutions and organizations that have supported hockey over the years watched all the matches and played lead roles in the trophy presentation ceremony. Mr. J B Alhassan, Head of the Budget and Accounts Division, his Deputy, Mr. Daniel Kludje and Mr. Leslie Akrong, represented the Bank of Ghana, Mr. Henry Moffat represented SSNIT, Mr. David Alleonu, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Greater Accra Region represented Ghana Fire Service, Mr. Joseph Wireko, National Sales Manager, Beverage Investments limited, represented the sponsors of the Pepsi Hockey league, while Lizbeth King represented the Ghana Prisons Service. Mr G B Awuakye,. Secretary General of the Ghana Hockey Association, represented the Association. Colonel Armah Okai, chairman of the Greater Accra Hockey Association paid tribute to institutions such as the Bank of Ghana, SSNIT, Ghana Commercial Bank the Ghana Prisons Service, Fire Service and CEPS for continuously supporti! ng and sustaining the game of hockey in the face of difficulties. He expressed his confidence in the ability of the game to win international recognition in sports for the country and called on such institutions to continue to support the growth and development of the game. He expressed his Associations gratitude to Beverage Investments Limited for sponsoring the competitive Pepsi League, Mobitel for sponsoring the Mobitel Knockout competition, NDK Financial Services for sponsoring the Homowo Tournament among many other contributions to hockey and GLICO for sponsoring the ever-exciting gala competition. Finally, he was full of praise for his team of executives and the clubs for their dedication that saw the hockey season come to a successful end. He announced that the Greater Accra Hockey Association would collaborate with the Ghana Hokey Association in hosting the 13th Africa Cup for Club

Champions competition for both men and women scheduled for Accra between 2! 3-30 April 2002.