Otumfuo Osei Tutu II The Sportsman

Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is a King with extraordinary interest in sports, but he detests corruption in sports, especially in football. He has special attachment to football where he has used his resources and royalty to advance the game, and in golf where he plays himself and is also a financier. Football As a football enthusiast, he has exhibited this in the administration of his club, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, and the special attachment to the national football team, the Black Stars. Since his enthronement, he has moved football from the periphery of Manhyia activities to occupy a place in the mainstream activities. Otumfuo Osei Tutu has channelled enormous resources into the operations of Asante Kotoko and it is a shame that mismanagement and lack of foresight by people he appointed to higher positions in the club have disabled the team from winning any continental silverware in his time. Supporters of Kotoko's bitterest rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak, have been teasing their opponents in Kumasi that it is only Hearts of Oak that have been able to present an African trophy to Otumfuo Osei Tutu. That was in 2000 when Hearts of Oak won the CAF Champions League and went to the Manhyia Palace to present the trophy to the King. On that day, Otumfuo made an interesting statement that, "Hearts of Oak belongs to me, " and went ahead to dole out an undisclosed amount to the victorious Hearts team. His magnanimity and reception accorded the Hearts of Oak team led some people to claim he was a Hearts of Oak supporter, something he openly denied years later. Indeed, Asante Kotoko have lived and survived on the shoulders of the King when, in fact, there have always been the potential to make the club self-sufficient. Yet, the King appears not disturbed since he believes football is a unifier and source of entertainment, as well as an avenue for bringing wealth to the economy of his Kingdom if properly handled. In April last year, when Asante Kotoko were in dire financial straits, the Asantehene made a whopping donation of GH�450,000 to the management for the recruitment of players. His generosity had showed in many ways. In September, last year, he donated an undisclosed amount to Bechem United to support their preparations for the Ghana Premier League. Otumfuo's abhorrence to corruption and mismanagement has seen him dissolving at least 10 Kotoko boards and managements within the 15 years he had been on the Golden Stool. Black Stars The Asante King also describes himself as a key supporter of the Black Stars and has demonstrated this beyond imagination. Anytime the national football team played in Kumasi, the Asantehene would visit them in training and receive them in his palace to give them his blessings. The sentimental attachment of the team to the Baba Yara Stadium is partially due to the reception and blessings they receive from the Otumfuo in Kumasi. Golf As a golfer himself, he has never hidden his interest to drive the progress of the sport in Ghana. The Asantehene Gold Open, doubtless, the most prestigious golf tournament in the country, has received massive injection of sponsorship since Otumfuo Osei Tutu ascended the Golden Stool. Over the last years, the tournament has attracted participation from foreign countries and the King is always there to grace the event with his royalty. Future Expectations are that the coming years would see an even better part of the Asantehene in sports development, especially at the youth level, so that talents could be unearthed for the nation.