Chief Executive Officer of McDan Group of Companies, Daniel McKorley, has offered to pay the affiliation fees owed the International Tennis Federation (ITF) by the Ghana Tennis Federation (GTF).
Ghana is facing expulsion from the ITF after failing to pay affiliation fees amounting to $17,378 between 2015 and 2018.
This will be the second time Mr. McKorley, who also sponsors the McDan Open West Africa Tennis Tournament, has bailed out the GTF, having done previously done so in 2015.
According to the President of the Ghana Tennis Federation, Isaac Aboagye Duah, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is responsible for the payment of the fees, but have failed to do so for the last 10 years.
Ghana’s national tennis team, the Golden Rackets, are expected to participate in this year’s Davis Cup competition in Nairobi, Kenya from June 18 and need to raise the amount.
Ghana dropped from the prestigious Euro Africa Zone two between the late 90s and 2000s to Zone Four. Following the ITF’s scrapping of Zone Four, Ghana climbed automatically to Zone Three.
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McDan charged the Ghana Tennis Federation to roll out plans to clinch more silverware for the country. The nation has not won a major tennis event and has struggled in recent years to perform well in the Davis Cup tournament.
“I want to see Ghana win more trophies. The coming years will be exciting for Ghana tennis.” said McKorley.
He continued: “McDan is a result-oriented company and whatever we touch, succeeds so we want Ghana tennis to succeed. I thank the federation for and all persons who are making the sport what it is today.”
GTF President, Isaac Aboagye-Duah expressed his thanks to McDan for the gesture.
McDan has grown a string relationship with the GTF in the last few years. In 2017, McKorley donated a Mecedes-Benz bus to the federation and gave educational scholarships to 8 tennis players.
In terms of the development of tennis, McKorley and his company has been sponsoring the McDan West Africa Open Tennis Championships for the last five years.
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By: Citi Sports