Greater Accra II (U-23) are KN Owusu Hockey Tournament Champions

Greater Accra II (U-23) team beat their compatriots Greater Accra I (U-21) by a single goal courtesy a penalty corner strike by captain Jacob Sowah in the 10th minute of their fiercely contested final match to win the KN trophy donated by SSB Bank Limited. The match started on a very fast note with both teams determined to carry the day. It was the U-23 side that showed more purpose and dominated proceedings in all departments of the game. A swift midfield exchange resulted in the award of a penalty corner in favour of Greater Accra I. The push was well stopped and captain Sowah executed a powerful hit that crashed into the backboard for the only goal of the match. The game remained a balanced but entertaining affair till the end of the first half. The second half saw a rise in the tempo of the game with play swinging from one end to the other and occasionally being contested in midfield. The final minute of the game was even more dramatic. Greater Accra II were awarded a penalty corner on the stroke of full time just as the hooter was blown. The penalty corner was executed and Greater Accra were deemed to have scored from the initial execution to set off a wild celebration. Umpire 2, Richmond Attipoe however reversed the decision and awarded a free hit to signal the end of the game at a score of 1-0. During the closing ceremony, Mrs. Mary Owusu, wife of the late KN Owusu expressed her gratitude to the Ghana Hockey Association and the main sponsoring institutions for the honour done her late husband. She pledged to support the Association pursue the dreams of KN.

Before the presentation of the giant trophy, the representatives of SSB Bank Limited and COCOBOD, Messrs Wireko Brobbey and Douglas Djarbeng respectively paid tribute to the memory of the late KN and pledged their institutions commitment to continue sponsoring this event on annual basis. The chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association was elated at the standard of play and indicated the Association’s commitment to pursue the development of hockey more rigorously with identified corporate institutions, the National Sports Council and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The presentation ceremony was performed by Mrs. Owusu with support from Mr. Djarbeng and Mr. Brobbey In the playoffs, Ashanti Region placed third when they beat Brong Ahafo 2-0 while Eastern trounced Central Region 4-0 to place 5th. The KN Owusu Memorial Invitational tournament will be staged next year with the two corporate institutions playing a lead sponsoring role.