The Sports Minister (4th L), the organiser (2nd R) with other dignitaries at the launch
About 30 Zongo communities from various parts of the country will participate in the 8th edition of the Sheikh Sharubutu Ramadan Cup, organisers of the community football competition have announced.
The expansion of the tournament to 30 communities was announced at the launch of the 8th edition at a colourful ceremony in Accra recently.
The Ramadan Cup, a community football tournament involving Zongo communities, is named after Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, the National Chief Imam.
The main objective of the competition, according to organisers, 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 this year’s event, Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, commended organisers of the tournament for sustaining such a tournament with noble objectives.
“Two key objective 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 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 years, 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 at the end of Ramadan.
Present at the ceremony included Mustapha Ussif, Minister for Youth and Sports; Farouk Aliu Mahama, MP for Yendi and Board Chairman of Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation; Prosper Harrison Addo, General Secretary of Ghana Football Association; and Alhaji Abdul Latif, Director of Protocol of Office of National Chief Imam; Ibrahim Tanko, Head Coach of the National Under 23 football team and representatives of the communities.
CAPTION: The Sports Minister (4th L), the organiser (2nd R) with other dignitaries at the launch