Speaker of the 4th Republic of the Ghanaian Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has pledged support to the Ghana Cricket Association (GCA), if they raise a women team.
This he said, when the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour in Ghana first visited his chambers, with a delegation from the ICC and executive board members of the GCA on Friday, September 23, 2022.
The 7th Speaker of Parliament, who, in the absence of the President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo had the opportunity to, not only see the trophy but also hold it promised equipment to the GCA.
“I hope that our Ministry will be able to support them well. I am here for you, because of my colleagues who are in Cricket, if you come, I will support you.”
“Now that I have seen you, when I go back, I will ask for the pads and bats and all those things, so that we can support you, particularly the ladies, so if you get the team, I am always interested in supporting the ladies. We have left them far behind and without them we can’t develop, as a country, as a society; without them we can’t make any headway at all, because they are better managers than us. It is not our fault, but God that created them like that. So, let us see how we can support.”
It became necessary for the ICC Trophy Tour to visit Ghana, as the nation prepares to host the 13th African Games, with Cricket, a sport to be competed in for the first time. The trophy, however got to the Speaker, who shared these words.
“It is a shame that I don’t play Cricket, it is the trophy that may attract me. The fact that it is such a beautiful game, which keeps you as fit as a fiddle, it is only the terms that are sometimes not attractive, wicket and all those things. But I am happy to have so many friends that are into the game, my doctor in Indian is very good in Cricket and Patel who is connected to the Cricket Council.”
Hon Bagbin, who was in the company of Hon Solomon Kuyon, (Youth, Sports & Culture Committee member, other MP’s and staff of the house, strongly believes, that the Trophy Tour will whip up interest of the gentlemen’s game in Ghana, ahead of the 2023 African Games.
“It is good you have come through and I believe strongly that it will whip up the interest in Ghana. There are a number of times that Ghanaians have made efforts but it has not always gone far. I hear now, there is some improvement. I am happy that we are hosting the Games, next year. We pray that we come on top. We only need to focus on training and training. We need to have pitches; I don’t see them that much and the tools to be able to do well.”
The ICC, as part of activities to create more awareness of the sport and driven by Nissan (Japan motors) toured about 12 countries around the globe with the trophy, before Australia hosts the Men’s T20 World Cup from October 16 to November 13, 2022.
The Trophy which arrived in Ghana on Thursday night, September 22, visited other places like, the Ga Mantse Palace, the Achimota school, Presec-Legon, Black Stars Square, National Theatre and the Australia High Commission before departing on Saturday, September 24, 2022 to Australia for the 8th edition of the global showpiece.
Ghana’s female national team participated in the NCF Women’s T20 International Tournament in Lagos and finished 4th. The female U-19 team however could not partake in the maiden ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup qualifiers in Botswanan earlier this month due to lack of finances.
The U-19 boy will be participating in the ICC Cricket World Cup in Nigeria from September 30, through to October 9 in Abuja, without any support from the government. The senior national men’s team returned from South Africa on Friday, having placed 3rd in their group in the ACA T20 Africa Cup finals, also without any support from the government.
It is interesting to note, that like any other least financed sport, the GCA last received support from government for the national Team in September 2012, when Ghana participated in the ICC World Cricket League Division Eight (50 Overs) in Samoa. Ghana beat Samoa, Norway, Japan and lost to Vanuatu in the finals on September 22, 2012.
With support, there will be massive improvement in the performance of the national teams.
The ICC Team was led by Patricia Kambarani, Regional Development Manager, Africa, William Glenwright, Global Development Manager, Shomeresh Shetty, Marketing and Promotions Manager, among others.
