GTF dares National Sports Authority

Source: Daily Graphic Online  -  The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) is challenging a decision by the National Sports Authority (NSA) to its recognition for its president, Frederick Otu Lartey.
In what appears to be a raging battle between the NSA and GTF, the NSA in a letter signed by its Deputy Director General (Technical) Saka Acquaye, withdrew recognition for Mr. Otu on grounds of “gross disrespect.

According to a statement signed by the public relations officer of GTF, Adnan Lamptey, an elected president of the federation by the highest decision making body of Taekwondo in Ghana, which is Congress, cannot be removed by the Director-General of the NSA.

It contended that only congress can remove him (Mr Lartey) from office and that can only be done at the next congress, saying the actions of the NSA is tantamount to government interference in the affairs of the national federation.

“We have appraised our International Federation and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the threat that the NSA’s interference in the national federation's affairs has created for the development of Taekwondo in Ghana”.

It further argued that the action by the NSA was in contravention of the existing sports law, specifically, the L.I. 1988 SPORTS REGULATIONS, 2011.

The statement further denied that the president of the federation disrespected the NSA. “For the record, it is untrue that Mr Otu showed gross disrespect to you NSA boss on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 as indicated in your letter”.

Explaining the action against Mr Latey last Monday, Mr Joe Kpengey, Director General of the NSA told the Graphic Sports that following recent agitations and fracas between the regional taekwondo associations and the national body, he decided to call for a meeting to bring an amicable settlement to the dispute.

“I invited Mr Frederick Otu to my office and when he came he challenged my authority and audacity to call for a meeting and stated that he can’t accord me the recognition as the head of the supervisory sporting authority in the country,” he said.

According to the NSA boss, Mr Otu refused to pay heed to his advice and left without any conclusive settlement of disputes confronting the sport.

“Since he does not recognise the NSA and me to settle the issues bedeviling the discipline, we can’t also recognise him as the national chairman or president of the association,” Mr Kpengey asserted.

The taekwon-do sport has in recent times been confronted with some challenges as some in-fighting among the national leadership and some heads of the regional associations have taken centre stages.

Not too long ago, new executives for the Greater Accra Region were controversially elected, despite the existence of a substantive executive body. The Greater Accra Regional Sports Director, Kwame Amponfi Jnr, declined to give a seal of approval to the newly elected executives.

Two Grandmasters, Canada-based Felix Ayensu and Dan Budu also waded into the impasse with a call for truce among feuding taekwon-do leadership, but their efforts yielded little results.