By: Kwaku Oduro
CEO of Tamale based Real Tamale United (RTU), Alhaji Karim Sani Mahama alias Karim Starboy has supported the move by clubs from the Division One League in expressing their displeasure at the Ghana Football Association’s Normalisation Committee over the cancellation of the Special Competition and thereby seeking reimbursement for the cost incurred in camping and preparing their respective clubs for the tournament.
Speaking to Sports24online.com, Karim Starboy said RTU was even the first club to officially write to the Normalisation Committee seeking for a compensation in the region of GHC 10,000.00.
“I am the Chief Executive Officer of RTU and I tell you, running football in Ghana is expensive so you [The Normalisation Committee] need to understand the owners of the clubs so that when you are dealing with them you can empathize with them and not to label them as pulling you down or sabotaging you. RTU borrowed over GHC 10,000.00 in bringing all our players together and preparing them for the Special Competition so all we are asking for, is a compensation of GHC 10,000.00. I sent my application even before the group [DOL] itself”.
Portions of the the official letter addressed to the Chairman of the Normalisation Committee from RTU signed by the CEO with the heading, ‘Appeal for Refund of Expenses Incurred in Preparation for Special Competition reads “Please note that RTU, like most Division One Clubs contacted, has incurred expenses inviting our players from recess and camping them in preparation for the competition. The best the Normalisation Committee could have done was to go ahead with the Division One clubs while it sorted out any differences with the Premier League Clubs”.
Asked if the Normalisation Committee has responded to their letter, Alhaji Karim said “No, we have not heard from them and that has been the posture of the [Normalisation] Committee. They don’t reply when you write to them”.
The Normalisation Committee cancelled the special competition following frustrations by Ghana Premier League clubs over their unwillingness to participate.
On Wednesday, the committee revealed only two clubs from the top flight agreed to engage in the proposed four month tournament.
Meanwhile, the tournament was designed to involve some forty eight clubs from the lower divisions.
