The eighth edition of the annual Sheikh Sharubutu Ramadan Cup has been launched at a colourful ceremony in Accra on Thursday.
The Ramadan Cup, a community football tournament involving Zongo communities, is named after Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu and in honour of the National Chief Imam.
The main objectives of the competition is to bring youth from Zongo communities together to promote peace, unity and discipline, as well as provide a national platform for talent display and recovery.
Launching the eighth edition, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, commended the organisers of the tournament for sustaining such a tournament with noble objectives .
“Two key objectives of the Sheikh Sharubutu Ramadan Cup, which I believe had been achieved, is using it to celebrate our iconic father, the National Chief Imam, and also bringing the youth in communities together,” Mustapha Ussif said.
“So far, the tournament has become synonymous with the Sheikh Sharubutu, which shows that celebrating him through the tournament has been achieved. And considering the number of communities involved in the competition, the number of youth who come together to participate and watch, the business activities that go on around the stadium, the sporting icons who come together to watch the event, it is clear the objective of bringing the youth and communities together has been achieved,” the sports Minister added.
The Member of Parliament for Yendi and Chairman of the Muslim Caucus of Parliament, Farouk Aliu Mahama, who was the Chairman for the launch, urged participating communities and the youth, to continue to be guided by the objectives of the tournament, which he said, reflects the persona of the National Chief Imam.
The Founder of the tournament, Tamimu Issah, expressed delight and appreciation to all stakeholders for the strides the tournament has made in eight, recalling how the competition began on what he called “a modest note” in 2015 with eight Zongo communities.
After 28 communities participated in last year’s edition, Tamimu Issah announced that the tournament has once again been expanded to 30 Zongo communities with Kumasi Zongo and Adabraka Zongo as new entrants.
A live draw was conducted for the preliminary stage of the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, April 29 and ends on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at the end of Ramadan.
Present at the ceremony included Hon. Mustapha Ussif – Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Farouk Aliu Mahama, MP for Yendi and Board Chairman of Integrated Aluminium Company, Prosper Harrison Addo, General Secretary of Ghana Football Association and Alhaji Abdul Latif – Director of Protocol of Office of National Chief Imam, who represents the National Chief Imam, Ibrahim Tanko, Head Coach of the National Under 23 football team and representatives of the communities.
Below are the preliminary fixtures:
RAMADAN CUP 2023 PRELIMINARY FIXTURES
MATCH NO. 1: MAMOBI VRS. NSAWAM ZONGO.
MATCH NO. 2: ACCRA NEW TOWN VRS KUMASI ZONGO
MATCH NO. 3: NIMA VRS. ODA ZONGO
MATCH NO.4 COWLANE VRS TEMA ZONGO.
MATCH NO.5: KOFORIDUA ZONGO VRS ADABRAKA
MATCH NO.6, MADINA VRS TUNGA
MATCH NO 7: ALAJO VRS SHUKURA
MATCH NO 8: SABON ZONGO VRS. SUHUM ZONGO
MATCH NO.9: NEW FADAMA VRS.KANESHIE NIGHT MARKET ZONGO
MATCH N0 10: ASHAIMAN ZONGO VRS. OFIE AKUAPEM ZONGO
MATCH NO. 11: KASOA VRS ASHALEY BOTWE
MATCH NO.12: HOHOE ZONGO VRS. SALAGA
MATCH NO. 13: TUDU VRS. ANYAA ZONGO
MATCH NO 14: DARKUMAN VRS.
MATCH NO.15: NUNGUA ZONGO VRS. ABEKA ZONGO
Source: Graphic Online
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