Preview of the 2002 Champion of Champions

Showdown: Trustees and Exchequers Battle for Supremacy in Ghana Hockey Just when hockey pundits thought the grand finale of the fiercely contested knockout competition would climax the activities of the Greater Accra Hockey Association for the 2002 hockey year with a win for Exchequers, ‘trustful’ Trustees gave hockey fans another opportunity to watch brilliant hockey. The occasion will be the champion of champions match for the year 2002 to determine who rules Ghana hockey at club level scheduled for Saturday January 18, 2003, at 4:00pm at the National Hockey Pitch. The two teams, with steam effusing from their nostrils like the proverbial dragon, go head to head in what hockey fans have dubbed the real showdown for supremacy for the year 2002 when the Greater Accra Hockey Association organizes the Pepsi Hockey Day to crown the 2002 Pepsi league champions. With 2 wins each in the year 2002, the stage has been set for a hotly contested duel that will definitely keep fans at the edge of their seats. For the Trustees team, this match provides them with another opportunity to confirm to their management that they deserve to be accorded the status of pacesetters in Ghana hockey. A win for Trustees will place them one win ahead of their rivals for the year 2002 and consolidate their request for a place to participate in the 15th Africa Cup for Club Championship Competition scheduled for Pretoria, South Africa. Similarly, Exchequers are in no mood to lose twice on the trot to their rivals who have the knack of spoiling their party at the last minute. Indeed, the men from the Trust took Exchequers on a 3-week roller-coaster ride during the latter stages of the 2001 hockey season, beating them 3 times on the trot during the period to annex the knockout and champion of champions trophies. Exchequers, just like the situation this year, had then won the league trophy and were preparing for a big celebration that eventually fell through with the defeats. Based on the last match however, it will be difficult to predict a winner and both coaching staffs have indicated that the match will be very close. Coaches Abaidoo and Sackey of Exchequers have however hinted that they were working on the mental attitude of their players and believe that would be the strategy that will decide the game in their team’s favour. Coach Ayertey of Trustees has been rather quiet and has concentrated on smoothing the rough edges of his team ahead of the big game. Both teams will field the full complement of their players, as the cards that were picked by players of Trustees in the knockout finals will not result in suspensions. The highlights of the day will be the presentation of the Pepsi League trophies to Exchequers and Reformers, while Reformers take the champion of champions trophy in the ladies’ category by virtue of chalking the double during the season. GAHA Babies vie with Tema Stars to determine the super champions in the Juvenile division. In some friendlies, Multistix will take on the new veteran club NDK Pros while Citizens seek to avenge their 0-3 thrashing at the hands of Veterans in the first in the series of cup ties during the off-season Africa Hockey Federation (AfHF) Honour Ghana Hockey with Development Award A release from the Cairo headquarters of the Africa Hockey Federation announced that the Federation is conferring on the Ghana Hockey Association the 2002 Development Award. According to Gamal Shirazi, the President of the Federation, Ghana was given the Award in appreciation of the GHA’s outstanding efforts in the development of hockey in the West African sub-region and Ghana during the year. The AfHF President congratulated the GHA for collaborating with the Federation in its development effort and expressed the hope that this would continue in the coming years. For the Award, the Ghana Hockey Association will be credited with an amount of 500 Great Britain Pounds to support its development projects.