Minister for Youth and Sports Isaac Asiamah has stated that Ghana will in the next 10 years have no excuse not to win medals at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
This, he said, is because appropriate facilities would be put in place to nurture and produce world class athletes for the country to win laurels at the global stage.
The minister was speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony of a multipurpose Youth Sports Center at Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region on Monday, April 30, as part of government’s ‘One Region One Stadium’ agenda.
According to the Minister, the country’s inability to win laurels at the global stage in recent times is because appropriate facilities are not available to prepare athletes for such competitions.
Mr. Asiamah who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Atwiwa Mponua Constituency, where the facility would be located said, “Ghana’s population is far higher than the number of sporting facilities available and the current move is a long term plan to develop facilities and ensure that Ghana win medals at the Commonwealth Games in the next 10 years.”
When that is done, he added, no athlete will have a reason not to perform and make the nation proud at the world stage.
He noted Ghana won only a bronze medal at the recently held Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia after presenting over 70 athletes.
Aside the new facilities that would be completed in nine months, he said the Accra Sports Stadium and the Kaneshie Sports Complex are undergoing refurbishment to serve people in the Greater Accra Region and beyond.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Emmanuel Asigri for his efforts in supporting the ministry to deliver on its mandate to Ghanaians.
The Sports Center would comprise a FIFA standard football pitch, an eight-lane athletic track, a volleyball, basketball, tennis and handball court, an ICT center, a counseling and entrepreneurship center and a restaurant to serve the people of Nyinahin and surrounding communities.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Bernard Anwi Bosiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, said the facility is strategically placed to serve the people of the Ashanti and the Western regions.
This is the 4th sod-cutting exercise that is seeing a renaissance in the construction of sports facilities all over the country to give sports development a rebirth.
These multipurpose Youth and Sports Centres are being constructed in all the 10 Regions of the country.
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