GFA rewards Beach Soccer officials for years of commitment

Read the profiles of the three dedicated officials from the Ghana Beach soccer Association appointed by the Ghana Football Association to serve on the Beach soccer committee headed by the President of the Association Mr. Yaw Ampofo Ankrah

PROFILES

• NANA POKU AMANKWAH

A TV and Radio Producer by profession, Nana Poku Amankwah graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2010.

The young, creative and dynamic man started his career as an intern at Atlantis Radio in 2009 before having stints at Yfm (2010) and Rainbow Radio (2012).

His first major assignment came in 2013 when he produced the highly successful Black Stars Diary during the 2013 AFCON campaign in South Africa for ETV Ghana and ABN TV in the UK. Since then, Nana Poku has produced content on one World Cup (Brazil 2014) for TV3 and ABN TV (UK) and most recently the EGYPT 2019 AFCON Fans Diary for GTV.

In 2018, he was handpicked by the BBC as a stringer for the BBC’s feature on the state of Ghana football.

Nana Poku has been part of the GBSA since 2009 and was voted as the Organizing Secretary of the association in 2011. Together with the technical committee, he has overseen the running of 4 league seasons as well as the recently completed 2019 Cal Bank Super league.

It is certain that he made it onto the committee largely due to his hands on and finger tips experience of beach soccer

.YAW GYAMFI KUSI AWERE

With many businesses under his name, Mr Gyamfi is a successful entrepreneur who began his trade in the UK before returning to Ghana in 2007.

In 2011, Mr Gyamfi was appointed as Protocol Officer of the GBSA and has since led the national team, the Black Sharks to major tournaments and qualifiers on the African continent as leader of delegation.

He oversaw Ghana’s first ever international outing in 2013 Beach Soccer AFCON in Morocco and has since been at the forefront of all other travelling protocol including tournaments in South Africa, Nigeria, Seychelles as well as AFCON qualifiers in Uganda and Kenya.

Mr Gyamfi’s experience with international relations and travel has proven vital in many instances where through his connections; he sorted out issues where some players of the national team had issues with travel documents. He is the CEO of Matix Promotions, Oti Royal Enterprise and is also into the oil and gas industry as well as owner of Sea Lions Beach Soccer Club winners of the 2018 Greater Accra Super Cup title.

• GEORGE DARKO

Without any prior experience, George Darko became Ghana’s first beach soccer referee as well technical instructor for both referees and coaches for the new sport which was introduced in Ghana in 2007.

George has been one of the GBSA’s longest serving members and has been a major player in the success chalked by the association in its young history. In 2007, he developed the first beach soccer training course for interested referees and coaches at the time.

He proposed the first 5yr beach soccer development plan which included the running of a two-tier league (championship and division 1) which started in 2011 – the first of its kind in Africa.

With a strong combination of a class room training and hand- on experience gathered from other organizations like Ghana Beach Soccer Association, Referees Association of Ghana, EL SAYUS Company limited, George Darko has and will always be one of the most important people in the running of beach soccer in Ghana.

Currently holds the position of Head of Referees for the Ghana Beach Soccer Association.

Source: Thepressradio.com