NDK reclaim hockey title

Hockey ‘landlords’, NDK Financiers, reclaimed the Dwadifo Adanfo Seniors’ league title last Saturday at the National Hockey Stadium courtesy a 2-0 win over Multistix to temporarily end SAPHOLDA’s dream of dominating the league for five years.

Newcomers, SAPHOLDA, took charge of the seniors league in their first two years but were cut to size in their third year as NDK bounced back to take what they claimed rightfully belonged to them.

It took the magic of smallish Rudolf Sowah, whose brilliant two goals, leapfrogged NDK to the summit on the last day of the league as they won the title with 19 points, a point ahead of SAPHOLDA, with Multistix and Citizens following in that order.

Both NDK and Multistix fielded their strongest squad  but NDK appeared the hungrier side for the title and despite SAPHOLDA’s 7-1 thrashing of Citizens, it did not stop the Financiers from lifting the trophy.

After observing a minute’s silence for Nora Ahadjie, wife of the playmaker of NDK, Emmanuel Ahadjie, who died last Tuesday, NDK burst into action with series of raids and deservedly fetched the opener through Sowah in the seventh minute and later added another on 42nd minute to end the game.

Ironically, the loss of Ahadjie’s wife, instead of demoralising the players, rather galvanised  them as they played with an amazing energy.  A  planned celebration has been put on hold  until after the burial of Nora later in the month

But the league title in the A-league (both male and female) would be determined after October 11 with two matches remaining. The two matches have been put on hold to enable the senior national teams (male and female) to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday for the Hockey Cup of Nations.

By Daniel Kenu/Daily Graphic/Ghana