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| 30 Toyota Cars For Satellites |
11/8/2009 |
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Government has unveiled a $750,000 reward package for the Black Satellites, following their remarkable exploits at the Under-20 Championship in Egypt where they beat Brazil in the grand finale to win the World Cup.
The package included a Toyota Camry saloon car for each member of the playing body, technical as well as management teams, and GH¢10,000 in bonds for each of the players.
According to Oko Nikoi Dzani, Chairman of the Black Satellites Reward Committee, who announced the package at the forecourt of the Osu Castle yesterday, the GH¢10,000 life policy for each player would be invested in bonds which would mature in 10 to 15 years, adding that each member of the management team would receive $5,000.
He said the committee, which was set up by government, has so far received donations and pledges from various corporate institutions such as IPMC (GH¢10,000), COCOBOD (GH¢20,000), Guinness (GH¢10,000), SSNIT (GH¢10,000), Fidelity Bank, Strongplast and Nike among others.
“Furthermore, arrangements have been made with all mobile companies to raise funds for the team. The mobile companies will receive the messages, keep 30 percent of the proceeds and release the 70 percent to the committee,” the Reward Committee chairman noted.
He said by the end of November, an announcement would be made on how much has been received on behalf of the team.
In an earlier submission, President Atta Mills had said the Black Satellites will be the sole beneficiaries of all the donations to them.
He told the team: “Africa, indeed the whole world except Brazil, is proud of you”, disclosing, “Laurent Gbagbo (President of Cote d’Ivoire) has discussed with me his intention to invite the Satellites to his country and present his donation to them.”
The President congratulated the playing body, management and technical team, and later presented a key to one of the 30 saloon cars to Daniel Addo, acting skipper of the Satellites.
Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, president of the Ghana Football Association, thanked the government on behalf of the Satellites for the package, and said his outfit will do more to make Ghana and Africa proud.
Present at the function were Hon Rashid Pelpuo, Minister of Youth and Sports; his deputy Nii Nortey Duah; other government officials; Sellas Tetteh, head coach of the Black Satellites; members of the management committee; GFA officials; and supporters’ groups.
It would be recalled that the Black Satellites of Ghana won last month’s Under-20 World Cup in Egypt after beating a more fancied Brazilian side. Despite being a man down, the Ghanaians held their own and eventually beat the Selecao 4-3 on penalties to lift the World Cup trophy.
It was all joy when they landed at the Kotoka International Airport a few days later, as Ghanaians from all walks of life trooped to the place to welcome home their heroes.
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