Die a bit to raise high
the flag of Ghana - Kufuor
Accra, Dec. 6, GNA – President John Agyekum
Kufuor on Wednesday exhorted Ghanaian athletes
to go the extra mile and die a bit to raise high
the flag of the country by winning more medals,
especially gold, at international competitions.
Ghana is the toast of the world as far as soccer
goes and the challenge is that the athletic
teams would strive to achieve the same level of
acknowledgement, he said.
President Kufuor was speaking when he granted
audience to the country’s foreign-based athletes
including Ignatius Gaisah; Vida Anim, Eric
Nkansah and Harry Foh at the Castle, Osu.
He said given the talents that they were
displaying in recent times, the Government would
give them every needed encouragement and support
to perform on the world stage.
President Kufuor said he had no doubt that with
a bit of a push, Ghana’s athletics would reclaim
the recognition and stature it used to enjoy in
the 1950s and 1960s.
He repeated the Government’s decision to honour
the country’s sportsmen and women, who showed
exceptional distinction in their performance.
He said the building of new Sports stadiums in
Tamale and Takoradi, the rehabilitation of those
in Accra and Kumasi and the new tracks at the
El-Wak Stadium were all part of the scheme to
assist to discover sports talents in the
country.
As nourishment was also part of the strength of
an athlete, the school feeding programme, he
noted, would add to efforts at producing world
class sportsmen and women.
Responding to requests made on the Government by
the athletes for long-term camping and joint
training for the relay teams, as they got
themselves ready for the 2007 Olympics,
President Kufuor said they would find the
resources to carry the programme through.
Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education,
Science and Sports, said under the Ministry’s
comprehensive sports reforms, equal attention
would be given to all sporting disciplines.
He cited for commendation, Mr Sandy Osei
Agyemang, Chairman of the Athletic Association
of Ghana, whose enthusiasm and passion had
resulted in Ghana winning more medals in
international competitions.
GNA
