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 I
feel broken-hearted- Gideon Baah
By David Kyei, Kumasi
The 14th minute of
Kotoko’s 22nd week Glo Premier league fixture with
Hearts of Oak on the 14th March 2010 will for ever be
a painful memory for enterprising left back, Gideon Baah and the
Kotoko fraternity as a whole.
Not only did Kotoko lose painfully
thanks to the combined efforts of a certain Referee S.B. Bortey
and a section of the National Security operatives, but the match
also saw Kotoko’s Gideon Baah suffer a dangerous fracture to his
active left foot.
Per preliminary assessment of the
extent of the injury as done by team doctor, Kwaku Boateng and
his colleagues at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Komfo
Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Gideon Baah would be out of
action for a minimum of 16 weeks.
The injury set the portion of
Kotoko supporters who saw it either on TV or live at the stadium
openly shed tears.
As per their responsibility to the
player and in the spirit of being each other’s keeper, a
management team led by retired commissioner of Police, Helena
Cobbinah, paid a visit to the hospital after their duties at the
stadium to see how their player was coping with the development.
Touched by her motherly feelings,
the almost in-tears Helena could not muster the strength to
enter the ward to visit and so was represented by operations
officer Ben Nti and Accra representative, Kwame Amoa Baah
Nuakoh. Some circle leaders accompanied them to the ward.
Haven been calmed down and assured
by the management delegation of their commitment to put in every
available resource to see to his recovery, Gideon got the
courage to speak to Kotoko Express about the issue.
“I went in for a tackle on Samuel
Affum. After the kick, I felt a sharp pain in my shin area and
fell. I did not see anything serious about it because I felt it
was one of the normal pains we footballers normally get in our
profession”.
“It was when I attempted to get
off the grass that I realised that I could no longer stand on my
left foot. Even at that time, the medics did not see my injury
until I pointed to them that I could not stand on my left foot.
It was them that I saw some of my colleagues weeping and others
with their hands on their head. It was then that it downed on me
that my injury might be a serious one,” he recounted.
The brave heart as he is and his
commitment to Kotoko in no doubt, Gideon told this paper that
whilst on the ambulance, he continually screamed at the driver
to stop the siren and tune his car radio on so that he could
monitor the commentary.
“Though the driver did not budge
to my demand, I arrived at the hospital and got to know that the
match was still goalless. All this while, I felt no pain in my
leg till their penalty was awarded and subsequently converted”.
“The pain pierced my heart so hard
that I at a point felt I was going to faint and get into the
worst state of health”.
“Though my pain increased in the
leg, the pain of the news that Kotoko had lost the match hit me
so hard that I still feel broken-hearted”.
“I feel broken-hearted because I
was expecting that Kotoko won for me to take a consolation in
that victory. Now I feel more distraught being a double loser”.
The injury has not only kicked
Gideon out of action for the rest of the season and probably
into the next season, but has also drawn back his career
progression, which had hit a high pitch.
“It is just unfortunate that after
picking a good form that had drawn attention to my career with
an invitation into the Local Black Stars, my target of making it
into the Ghana team that would be at the world cup in June has
hit a brick wall”.
“I feel so sad that all these
opportunities are going to go past me. It really hurts and I am
seriously disappointed”.
It has been said that ‘in the
multitude of friends, there is comfort, the news as conveyed to
him by the nurses on duty about the huge crowd of Kotoko
supporters who had thronged the premises of the hospital to see
and wish him well really gladdened his heart.
“I am touched by the show of love
and support of the fans who made it here from the stadium to see
how I was doing. Please tell them that I love them so much and
that I will be back in time to done the red shirt for them”.
“Whatever effort the doctors are
putting in would best be served when it is backed by prayers. I
therefore want to request all to remember me in their prayers. I
need it from them urgently”.
According to Dr. Kwaku Boateng,
the medical doctors are studying the x-rays that have been taken
of the broken leg and that he would be prepared for the theatre
on Wednesday. |
