Members of the national U-17 female soccer side the Black Maidens have vowed not to checkout of their Maresat Plaza Hotel until they receive monies owed them by the Sports Ministry.
The returned home from Jordan, reaching the quarter finals of the juvenile World Cup without receiving a dime (per diem, qualifying bonuses) from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Earlier, they planned embarking on a demonstration to press home their request, but it later emerged that they had resorted to occupying the hotel facility until they receive their purse.
Coach of the side Augustine Adottey said “The Ministry deserted us from here through the tournament till we arrived. There was no motivation and it is very demoralizing the government didn’t do well. The GFA did their part, supported us to some extent.”
“It is very sad we don’t have even transport to leave for our various destinations,” Management Chairman Augustine Asante said in an interview.
He added that “So we won’t leave the hotel. We were promised before we left for Jordan and yet we didn’t see anyone from the Sports Ministry.”
The girl’s pathetic story comes on the heels of their senior colleagues, the Black Queens who returned from the last All African Games with gold yet government failed to reward them until they decided not to vacate their hotel.
That took the intervention of President John Mahama before a fraction of their chunk bonus was given them to vacate the premises.
The team told the media that the Ministry had promised to pay their outstanding bonus at 9pm yesterday but there was ‘no show’ at press time by our checks.
The Maidens crushed from the competition after losing 2-1 to Korea DPR last Thursday.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum