‘’A nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for,’’ is what is usually said, but I also say ’’ a nation that does not take care for its living legends is not worth dying for’’. I ask myself why a fraternity will observe a minute silence for a departed member who they did not care for while he was alive and needy. Is a matter of formality or an act of hypocrisy? Emmanuel Quarshie was the last captain of the Ghana Blackstars that won a major trophy as far back as 1982 in Libya. Many of us young ones did not even know who he was until news of his bad health condition surfaced in the media when officials of his former club Zamalek came to Ghana to help him with his treatment and up keep. Our big men here in Ghana sat in their big offices to watch our national hero suffer without extending a helping hand to him, but today as he embarks on the inevitable journey that awaits us all, our big men will come out in the typical Ghanaian style to bid him an extravagant farewell. Emmanuel Quarshie is gone but many of our legends are still alive. Some have become objects of ridicule in their community because of the dehumanizing standard of living they face. Why will a nation sit and watch this happen to people who gave their all to uplift its name? It really beats my imagination. These men were really patriotic people who played for virtually no financial gains in their time. They played for the pride and glory, and it is by their efforts that we are called giants in football on the continent and the world at large. These men have been neglected so much so that some fraudulent and shameless Ghanaians even prey on them for their own financial benefit. It is time we stand up as nation to help put a smile on the face of our legends while they are still alive. Let those who are in authority come out and act now to rescue the rest of our heroes who have been left to their fate like it happened to the late Quarshie. At least they can be given free health care services at any of our major hospitals in the country because many of these sports men suffer a lot of health problems after retiring due to the nature of the sport. As we keep a minute silence for the late Emmanuel Quarshie at the various league centres this weekend, let us reflect soberly and think of ways to make the world a little brighter for the rest of our living legends like Rev. Osei Kofi, Samson Lamptey, Ibrahim Sunday et al, for ‘’a nation that does not take care of its living legends is not worth dying for.’’ Go well Captain Emmanuel Quarshie.

BY: Kenneth Nii Yeboah( NUBI YEBUA)

King_ken2@yahoo.com