Football commentary, like poetry, is a work of art in motion. The words must be short, and in stanzas. The details must have an impact on the recipient.
But more importantly, one must be a wordsmith with indepth knowledge of the game, and the actors involve. And for Kudiabor Gracious that has been his forte, when it comes to the ongoing Futsal league in Prampram.
Under the management of the Prampram Hood League, which Gracious is an active member, the Futsal league has become competitive and positively impacted attendance. In effect, local businesses within the community are equally booming.
The league is already in the knockout stages and this Saturday Don Ziggy FC, last year’s finalist, will host Sunset FC. Kudiabor Gracious will oversee the commentary. Inspired by Kwabena Yeboah, The Writer, and the late Christopher Opoku of Joy FM and Metro TV fame, Gracious first attempt at commentary was at the secondary school level, where he freely commentated on official and unofficial matches.
After school and though the passion was still there, he put the imaginary microphone behind him until later when the Futsal league started, and he reconnected again with the microphone.
An avid reader, Gracious’s knowledge about the game was partly from the numerous sports magazines that he got hold of, and which he devoured with intensity. A Real Madrid fan and active member of the Prampram community who is contributing to the wellbeing of the community through sports, he is confident the Futsal league has come to stay.
Futsal is a 5 aside indoor game and with its increasing popularity and acceptance as official UEFA and FIFA sport, the league in Prampram has good prospects of going global.
“In the next 5 years, I would like to see the league expand to include more teams, with a strong focus on youth development programs and grassroots initiatives. This would not only increase participation but also raise the level of competition and provide a platform for talented players to shine,” he said.
Through the Futsal league, Gracious is confident the platform will create an environment of sportsmanship, respect, and community engagement. By promoting a culture of fair play, respect for opponents and officials, and active community involvement, we can create a truly unique and special competition that benefits not only the players but also the wider community, he added.
According to him, the dream is for the Homowo Futsal League to become a hub through which aspiring footballers will emerge and get the opportunity to play in the big leagues abroad.
This year’s league is sponsored by Joe Nartey Group of Companies whose Chief Executive is the newly enstooled Youth Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area. Already, the organisers of the league have set their sights on deploying the appropriate metrics, to help in the overall performance of the league.
The metrics will also look at audience participation and the effect on the local economy, as well as sutainability of the league beyond the current Homowo season format. Some possible key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the league could include increase in participation numbers (teams, players, and officials).
For Gracious and his team, the league is here to stay and the future is to ensure it becomes a well managed league with the appropriate tools to back it. Brilliant as the ideas are, it will also require financial support and that is what himself and the team are hoping for.
At the moment, the league is played on a grassless pitch but the commitment level is always top. This year has been exceptional and the quality of play has also gone up. According to Gracious,by focusing on these areas, the Homowo Futsal League can become a shining example of what a well-run and respected competition should look like.
