The SIC Insurance Company Limited will soon roll out an insurance policy to cover spectators of football matches at the various league centres, * SportsInGhana.com* can exclusively reveal. To be called the ‘Stadium Personal Accident Policy,’ it will also take care of fans at national team games in any stadium across the country.

Having learnt and imbibed lessons from the tragic May 9 disaster, easily the saddest event to hit the county's most loved sports discipline exactly a decade ago, the leading insurance company has designed the policy that will favour all spectators who purchase match tickets but unfortunately suffer an injury or lose their life or property at the stadium, or any incident or disaster before, during or after the game.

At a meeting with members of the Professional League Board and representatives of Premier League clubs, Mrs. Doris Awo Nkani, Deputy Managing Director of the SIC Insurance Company said the proposal to insure football fans was at the most fertile stage and appealed to the clubs to embrace the idea and sell it to the fans who will benefit whenever they fall victim to any accident at any league centre.

She expressed the hope that some amount of money will be added to the gate fees to serve as contributions of the beneficiaries who of course are the fans. According to Mrs Nkani, since Ghanaian soccer fans have on the average not patronised league matches in recent years, there should be an enticement to attract them. She therefore suggested a raffle that will be drawn at the end of the season with a car at stake to go to the winner as well as other consolation prizes for football fans who patronise matches.

She noted that all over the world, the well organised leagues are all insured and it is about time Ghana joins to be counted among the best and well organised football leagues. A sample of the match ticket which will be improved was displayed for the club representatives to add their views and suggestions.

Mrs. Nkani stressed that the recent election of Kwesi Nyantakyi to serve on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is a plus for the country which should motivate football administrators and organisers to plan better and do their jobs more professionally.

She reiterated that insurance strives on trust, why everything will be done well to roll out the policy to make fans feel confident when they leave their homes and loved ones to go to the stadium, because even when they do not come back home like it happened on May 9 2001, they will have some consolation or something to fall on to ease their pain.

PLB Chairman Welbeck Abra- Appiah who led the clubs in the discussion acknowledged that the insurance for football fans idea was fantastic as all the clubs agreed in principle to accept it and work towards its processes and implementation. Mr. Abra-Appiah added that Ghana Football has been waiting for a product as such for a long time and congratulated the management of SIC Insurance Company for the policy which is about to be worked on and rolled out for Ghanaian football fans.

He assured the meeting that the clubs will talk to their supporters and believed they will welcome the idea as SIC Insurance Company also goes out to educate people through the media. Abra- Appiah was of the view that the media, especially the radio and television will be the best platform to sensitise and educate fans because they can call into the programmes with their questions which will be answered.

Aspiring GFA President Vincent Sowah Odoitei said insurance for the fans is a healthy proposal that is non-negotiable because all the clubs love the idea and have been waiting for it.

Other club representatives who were present were Owuahene Acheampong(PLB), Jones Abu Alhassan (RTU), Oduro Nyarko (Wa All Stars), Kwame Ntow Fiako (BA / DOL), Albert Commey Aryeetey (Accra Hearts of Oak), Mohammed Alhassan (Medeama), Frank Appiagyei (PLB), Christian Abbew (PLB), John Ansah (Cape Coast Dwarfs), Musa Gabby (Tudu Mighty Jets), Desmond Frimpong Manso (Heart of Lions), Derek Saki (PLB/ Oly) and Daniel Oduro Secretary of the PLB as well as representatives from New Edubiase, Aduana Stars and Obuasi AshGold. *Credit: Sammy Heywood Okine / SportsInGhana.com