MEDIA BEACH SOCCER CLASSIC

Friday 29 June to Sunday July 1st 2007
As part of efforts to create more awareness and popularity of beach sports in Ghana, the Ghana Beach Sports Association is hosting the first ever Beach Sports MEDIA Challenge at the Labadi Beach from friday 29 June to Sunday 1st July 2007.

Just imagine top radio and tv presenters, DJ's and media personalities battling it out in the sand instead of chatting and doing commentary, under the sun, next to the sea...and it would be LIVE on radio and TV!! There would also be a "Beach Babes Contest" Fashion Shows and live musical and cultural performances.
According to the Events coordinator of the GBSA, Albert Frimpong, the interest in the event is steadily rining and already confirmed are beach soccer teams from GIJ, Univ of Ghana Legon, Layoca Sports Club and special appearance by the ALL STARS team that won the maiden edition of the event.

Beach Sports ambassadors like Tony Baffoe and Marcel Desailly would once again grace the occassion.

Dates for the registration of all MEDIA teams will be announced soon.

The event promises to be the biggest gathering of media houses ever seen in Ghana.The official launch of the event will be on thursday 31st May at the Labadi Beach Hotel.

Mr. Frimpong also thanked all the sponsors of the maiden beach sports event in Ghana for their genuine effort to develop a new sport at short notice"They will go down history as having the vision to support a new sport without thinking too much about what was in it for them and for that we are including them all as "patron partners" for the next event.

The list of sponsors is below:

Chase Petroleum - Yoks Car Rentals

Fredina Tours - Dragon 88

Yegoala Hotel - Myghanafootball.com

Eastgate Hotel - Labadi Beach Hotel

La Pleasure Beach Resort

BACKGROUND
The Ghana Beach Sports Association (GBSA) is the sole body mandated to promote, develop and organize beach sports events in Ghana.

The GBSA was officially inaugurated by the CEO of the National Sports Council (NSC), Hon. Prince Oduro Mensah on 26th February 2007. Thus the GBSA operates under LI 1088 of SMC Decree 54 of 1976.

Since the formation of the GBSA, the association has actively been engaged in research, workshops and formalizing procedures for the effective execution of an ambitious and revolutionary Beach Sports Project in Ghana.

Already, the GBSA has successfully organized an eight team event as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of Ghana. The introductory exhibition event was staged on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th April 2007 at the La pleasure Beach Resort.

In the exciting grand final, ALL STARS captained by Nii Odartey Lamptey and fielding players like Mohamed Gargo, Augustine Ahinful, Charles Boateng, Michael Tetteh and Mohamed Polo beat MIRACLE FC 6-5 on penalties to lift the glittering trophy.

The media coverage of this historic event was tremendous and there is room for a wider promotional campaign on a scale and magnitude that has never been witnessed in Ghana.

NATIONAL MISSION

In a bid to contribute to the national 'discipline and cleanliness' campaign initiated by His Excellency; The Vice President Of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the GBSA in conjunction with Project Ghana Shoreline, The Environmental Protection Agency and Friends of The Earth, has adopted 'Keep Ghana Clean' as a campaign tool to rid the beaches of Ghana of filth.

This starting point to the bigger nationwide 'Keep Ghana Clean' message will ultimately stretch far beyond just the coastlines of Ghana.