May 2015
Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Limited has reached an agreement with the Ghana Education Service, Greater Accra Regional Directorate to support the Super Zonal Soccer Competition amongst senior high schools in the Greater Accra Region with a five year sponsorship deal. As part of the sponsorship agreement, the competition will now be known as GTBank Super Zonal Soccer Championship, with the Directors’ Cup at stake.
The sponsorship package will see GTBank fund the total cost involved in organizing the two-day soccer competition consisting of eight teams that comprise four female and four male teams across the four zones in the Greater Accra Regional Directorate. The estimated sponsorship amount involved in this year’s competition is about GH¢200, 000. The amount covers the development of a logo for the zonal competition and all the associated publicity, two(2) trophies, eight footballs, a set of jerseys for each participating team (amounting to a total of 144 units of jerseys) with matching hoses, eight sets of goal keepers’ gloves and 72 pairs of football boots.
Other items covered under this sponsorship deal include the cost of the venue hire, transportation subsidies, lunch and snack packs for the various participating schools, allowances for all coordinators, zonal officials, coaches, soccer officials, drivers, first aid team members and / or nurses, other officials and logistics such as PA systems, canopies etc. Whilst the ultimate prize at stake in the GTBank Super Zonal Soccer Championship is the Directors’ Cup for the winning team, GTBank has also instituted individual awards that come with a cash prize of GH¢1, 000 and a free bank account for participating players who distinguish themselves. The individual awards are Best Player (male and female); Goal King and Queen; Best Defender (male and female) and Best Goal Keeper (male and female).
The first of the GTBank Super Zonal Soccer Championship is scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium on the 25th and 26th of May, 2015, involving eight teams made up of second cycle students from schools across the four zones in the Greater Accra Regional Directorate.
The Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Limited, Mr. Lekan Sanusi has stated that, “This is one of the greatest opportunities for the Bank to contribute to the development of youth soccer in the country”, he stated. “As a footie-passionate nation, we realize that one of the surest ways in keeping our youth focused in whatever they do is to help develop and sustain the enthusiasm and healthy competition in the arena of football. Once this is achieved, discipline in other areas would naturally be attained; and we are proud to be part of this development”, he added.
Mr. Sanusi further stated that the decision for GTBank to sponsor the Super Zonal Competition was also informed by the fact that several Ghanaian soccer icons today who play locally or on the international scene were discovered through this event. Mr. Lekan Sanusi said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, we continually look for ways to plough back some of our profits in the communities in which we operate to aid in social advancement and development and also for posterity’s sake”.
The Greater Accra Regional Director, Ghana Education Service, Mrs. Felicia Boakye-Yiadom commenting on the sponsorship agreement said, “The sponsorship package has come at an opportune time since the Ghana Education Service is saddled with inadequate resources to be distributed among the various sectors and disciplines”.
Madam Boakye-Yiadom was gracious for the sponsorship deal which was a tonic flair to the development, promotion and organization of soccer in the Region. She appealed to the District/Municipal/Metropolitan Directors of Education, Heads of Second Cycle Schools and Students in the region to do business with the Bank to enable them make gains and to further deepen their interaction with them.
Mrs. Felicia Boakye-Yiadom further appealed to the Heads of Schools to release their students to spectate during the period of competition and finally assured that all preparations and organizations would be properly put in place to make the maiden sponsorship a success.
Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Limited as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities has aided in various charitable endeavours in the country since inception. The Bank’s CSR activities hinges on four key sustainable development pillars ranging from the development of Sports, Arts and Culture; support for Education; the Environment; and Health.