Tuesday, June 23, 2009

GEORGE ARTHUR FUNDS A SCHOOL (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, BACK PAGE)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani

AFTER retiring from active football about eight years ago, former Ghanaian international football star, George “King” Arthur, has turned his attention to education with the establishment of a school in Sunyani.
The King’s Cambridge International School located off the Sunyani-Abesim road is one of the best things to happen to the educational sector in the Sunyani municipality.
Speaking to Graphic Nsempa in Sunyani, Arthur said the establishment of the school was to show appreciation to society for the support they gave him during his football career.
The former B/A United, Asante Kotoko and Al-Ahly player said his success, as a player both locally and internationally was particularly due to the encouragement he had from his admirers especially those in Sunyani where he started it all.
George Arthur, a native of Fiapre near Sunyani, started his football carrer at B/A United when he was a student at the Sunyani Secondary School in the late 1970s.
He was one of the brilliant right-wingers Ghana had ever produced, and in his days, he was a great bother to many defenders. No wonder he caught the eyes of the management of Asante Kotoko who signed him on from B/A United.
In Kotoko, Arthur was one of the architects of many of the victories chalked by the Porcupine Warriors.
Egyptian giants, Al-Ahly, eventually signed him on but a frosty relationship with the club saw him abrogating his contract.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, banned him for his action but the ban was later lifted paving the way for him to return to Asante Kotoko, where he eventually retired form active football and entered into various businesses including the hospitality industry.
The establishment of the school, he says, is one of the best things to happen to his life. The former international said education was key to development and said even in football, a player, no matter his or her performance would face some teething problems, if the person lacked formal education.
Asked whether sports was going to be a priority area in the training of the pupils, he answered in the affirmative. According to him, he intends to develop a football academy in the school to run alongside the main educational system.
Currently, the school in its third year and from all indications, the future looks bright for the school in the years ahead.

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