The Ghana Football Association has explained that they contracted a local blacksmith to make the Ghana Premier League winners’ medals because it falls in line with association’s policy of supporting local industry.
The quality of the medals awarded Asante Kotoko for winning the 2021/2022 Ghana Premier League title has been called into question, with people particularly showing their disgust on social media.
Last season, the quality of Hearts of Oak’s championship medals was also called into question and the GFA vowed to improve, by contracting a local blacksmith to produce this year’s winners’ medals.
Medals with better metal properties. Not plastics with coated shiny materials looking like key holders. These are brass and gold. Handmade, locally produced. Improvement on last season. It can only get better. Thank you @ghanafaofficial 🤝 pic.twitter.com/aG9LI2p1ny
— Jerome Otchere (@JeromeOtchere) June 12, 2022
But it appears the work of the local artisans has not pleased everyone, with many labelling the medals ‘ugly and hideous’.
But the GFA General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo, insists the FA used local artisans for the medals because they wanted to show support to the local industry.
“These are handcrafted medals made in Ghana. People need to get hold of one of the medals and have a good feel of it to know the quality it’s made of and appreciate the handiwork of the Ghanaian visual art students.
“Any other medal you see that people are touting on social media; we’ve called all the people and they cannot make them here. They are all imported. All the university ones that you see are all imported from China.
“The policy of the GFA this year is to support local industry. We cannot pay lip service to supporting local industry and be importing everything from outside the country,” he told Citi Sports.