By Philip Tengzu
Nadowli, (UW/R), July 25, GNA – The Upper West Regional Football Association (UWRFA) has commended Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, for his vested interest and contribution to the development of sports in the region.
As part of his contribution, Mr Bagbin had renovated the stands at the Wa Sports Stadium and was also sponsoring the Real Crusaders, a female football team, as well as donated sporting materials, including football jerseys to some other football clubs in the region.
The Speaker was also spearheading the construction of an ultra-modern astroturf in Nadowli in the Nadowli-Kaleo District, the home district of Mr Bagbin.
“Look, as compared to other places, with this astroturf (in Nadowli) they can be playing matches 24 hours because there are going to be floor lights there.
So, when this astroturf is completed, I tell you it will help football to develop, especially in this (the Nadowli) catchment area,” Alhaji Dauda Yahaya Sadugu, the Chairman of the UWRFA, said.
He gave the commendation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, on the sidelines of an awards ceremony organised by TF Exponential FC, a Division Two football club in Nadowli.
He said the intervention by Mr Bagbin had a great impact on football development in the region and had saved the region from playing its Division One league home matches in other regions.
Mr Sadugu indicated that the Wa Sports Stadium was the only Football Association (FA) standard pitch for those matches but was in a dilapidated state until the intervention by the Speaker of Parliament.
He said the ongoing construction of an Astro turf in Tumu in the Sissala East Municipality and the Youth Resource Centre in Wa were expected to augment the number of FA standard pitches in the region to host Division One Matches when completed.
“Second divisions are playing on selected pitches because the pitches are not good and now that we have a very good pitch (in Nadowli) yet to be completed it’s very remarkable,” Mr Sadugu intimated.
The RFA Chairman said Home Marches of the Exponential FC and other clubs in the Nadowli-Kaleo District would be played within the district, when the construction of the astroturf in Nadowli was completed.
Mr Sadugu urged well-meaning citizens of the Upper West Region and beyond to support the development of football in the region through any means, including constructing befitting pitches across the districts, to help develop the football talents from the hinterlands.
He said due to the lack of standard pitches in the region some matches were currently played in the Jahan College of Education and the Wa Senior High School parks among others though they did not meet the FA standard of being fenced.
GNA