By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Aug. 10, GNA – Mr. Ernest Danso, Chef De Mission of the 13th African Games has bemoaned the lack of commitment towards the development of sports facilities by school managements.
He said the visible neglect of school sports facilities affected the development of talent and interest among children, and that stakeholders need to make sports accessible in all educational institutions.
Mr. Danso was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Volta Fair Corporate Fun Games in Ho on Founders Day.
The Chef De Mission said the development of a convenient sporting environment for children helped secure their development, and therefore each school should have at least a facility.
“You see schools that are springing up, people are building schools and they don’t have any facilities, and its something that Ghana should look at and make sure that before you can put a school or anything, you need to be able to get that facility for sports-not anything big; something small – at least one sport should be a requirement for every school.
“It is very important that one of the things that some of us we are going to advocate is to get kids participating in so many other sports because in the world of technology right now if you not careful you are going to lose kids to other things, and so sports needs to take its own shape,” he said.
Mr. Danso went on to say that maintenance culture remained “a challenge and a problem for the country,” and that corporate organisations should help make sports attractive to sponsors by supporting the provision of infrastructure.
He said the efforts of all as stakeholders, to advocate the development of sports in the Country.
The fun corporate fun games heralds the 6th Volta Trade and Investment Fair to be held in November, workers from various state and non-state organisations took part in various sporting events.
The Chef De Mission said introducing sports to the Volta Fair was a “wonderful initiative” adding that the Volta Region was being recognised for its sports attraction, and which should become an area of focus for stakeholders.
Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, the Regional Minister, said the Regional Administration would support the private sector develop sports opportunities for youth advancement and tourism.
Mr. Dela Gadzanku, Eastern, Volta, and Oti Regional Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries, which is partnering the Regional Coordinating Council to organise the fair, said talent and sports held potentials for growth of the youth-dominated region, and hoped the sector would be enhanced through the African Games and the AfCFTA.
The Chairman said patronage of the fun games had been impressive, and commended the support of all including the sporting fraternity in the Region, for pursuing the initiative which would be institutionalised as a feature of the annual trade event.
The 2023 Volta Fair would be held in Ho, and hundreds of local and foreign businesses and investors are expected to participate.
GNA