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CAN 2008 facilities must be preserved
for for sports development - Amoah
Tamale, July 26, Ghanadot/GNA - After inspecting the 21,700
- seater capacity stadium
for CAN 2008 tournament and the hostel facilities at the
campuses of the Tamale Polytechnic and University for
Development Studies (UDS).on Thursday, Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah,
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports advised the
sporting public in the Northern Region to come together and
protect the newly built stadium and other facilities of the
CAN 2008.
He said, "It is very important to emphasize that the whole
of the Northern Region and indeed the other neighbouring
regions must protect this great legacy, which has been
provided to boost the personal, economic and social development of the area."
Mr. Amoah said the provision of stadiums for next year's African
Cup of Nations particularly the Tamale and the Sekondi
venues were important legacies for the country, and would
contribute to greater developments if utilized properly.
Ne year's CAN2008 event, he
said, would be an opportunity for
Ghana to showcase its supremacy in soccer to the rest of the
continent by winning the Cup and then moving on to win the
World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
Mr. Amoah gave the advice during a media interaction in
Tamale after inspecting the sport ficilities, including training pitches,
changing rooms, connection of utilities such as
telecommunication system, electricity and water supply.
He said beyond the benefits of CAN 2008, the Northern Region
stood the chance of gaining more, but he harnessed that to
the need to initiate discussions on
the essence of the sports facilities for socio-economic
development of the country in general and the Northern
Region in particular and to also cultivate the habit of
preservation and maintenance of the facilities after the tournament.
The Deputy Minister, however, said the greatest challenge
confronting the total completion of the projects were the
external works, car parks, drainage system and the training
pitches, evacuation and entrance squares, as well as
sewerage disposal.
He expressed the hope that those components would be
completed on time before the end of September this year.
Mr Amaoh said the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
had authorized the release for funds for the payment of
advance mobilisation for the construction of the external
works, while advance mobilisation had already been paid for
the start of works on the training pitches.
He expressed satisfaction on the rate of work on the hostel
facilities and the stadium in Tamale, which had already been
completed and waiting commissioning in September.
Mr. Amoah said government believes that the provision of the
Sports Stadium and other facilities like multi-purpose
courts and sports halls across the Region would help to
unearth and produce excellent sports men and women from the
northern sector of the country.
He expressed the hope that the Northern Region, which
abounds in football talents would contribute meaningfully
towards reviving and maintaining the country's past
successes as a strong nation in soccer and other sporting
disciplines.
GNA
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