Sports must cater for interest
of all
GFA
sends Goodwill message to Kotoko
Accra (Greater Accra)
04 December 2002 - The Ghana Football Association, (GFA) on Tuesday sent a
message of goodwill and support to Kumasi Asante Kotoko in their battle against
WAC of Morocco in their final of finals match at the Kumasi Sports stadium on
Sunday.
The message said
"Kotoko need not be told that they should not go into this match with
complacency since their opponents are equally determined to do the impossible
by taking the enviable trophy to Morocco."
The message called on
the playing body to remain focused and disciplined on the field of play to die
for the club and the nation and to be the first Ghanaian club to win the Cup
Winners Cup competition. The messaged, signed by Kofi Nsiah, General Secretary
also called on the whole nation to support Kotoko "so that together we can
all share in the glory that the annexation of the trophy will bring to the
nation."
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
04 December 2002 - The lack of managerial competence and funding were on
Tuesday identified as the two main obstacles to development of football teams
in the Upper West Region to get to the premier division.
"People want to
watch football, but they don' want to pay", said Sahanum Mogtari, Upper
West Regional Minister said when he briefed the press in Accra on development
projects in the region since January 2001. The Ministry of Information and
Presidential Affairs initiated the encounter dubbed "Meet the Press".
Mogtari said the Upper
West Region, the youngest of the 10 regions in Ghana lacked the basic
infrastructure for the promotion of sports. "In fact the only
infrastructure that is available are three walled playing fields in Wa, Lawra
and Tumu which were all constructed during the NRC/SMC era. The two in Lawra
and Tumu have seen very little activity and are virtually abandoned,” Mogtari
said.
He said the government
aims at reactivating those fields by fencing, providing seats seats and
re-furnishing the dressing rooms.
Mogtari recalled a
recent visit of the Youth and Sports Minister to the region after which an
estimated ¢89m was proposed for a complete renovation of the Wa Sports Stadium.
He said the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) has responded with ¢40m, and
the RCC was prepared to provide the rest of ¢49m for the project.
Mogtari said the RCC
had instructed all district assemblies to set aside funds towards the
development of at least one stadium in their districts, and urged the MOYS to
assist the district assemblies in that endeavour, saying it was "quite a
huge venture."
He invited people with
the funds and expertise in football and other sporting disciplines to invest
and raise their levels in the region.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra)
04 December 2002 - Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Acting Chief Executive of the
National Sports Council (NSC) has said that sports development must be based on
the broad interest of all Ghanaians.
He said even though
the country has comparative advantage in certain disciplines where all
attention is being shifted to in order to achieve excellence, there is the need
to help other disciplines to also achieve success. Dr Owusu-Ansah, was
answering questions at the second edition of the "Meet the Press"
series organized by the NSC.
The CEO said it is the
responsibility of the council to motivate every Ghanaian in his aspiration in
sports since the 1992 Republican Constitution guarantees freedom of association
for all citizens and hence individuals who take to other sports must be helped.
Commenting on the
infrastructure problems in the country, Benson T. Baba, Chairman of the Ghana
Olympic Committee (GOC) decried the use of government lands for building
without the development of sports infrastructure in those areas. According to
him, lands in places like Madina and Dansoman in the Greater Accra Region, and
other areas have been developed without any proper sports infrastructure adding
that without the development of well equipped sports infrastructure, the nation
cannot progress.
He said the country is
not making the needed impact in sports because there are no facilities to help
the sportsmen to develop.
Baba said many games
like boxing, table tennis and handball which are supposed to be held indoors,
are rather held out-doors which, he said, is not good for the development of
such sports disciplines. He said there is the need for well-equipped sports
halls to enhance excellence from the country's sportsmen and women.
GRi…/
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