By Anthony Adongo Apubeo, GNA
Talensi (U/E), July 27, GNA – Cardinal Namdini Mining Ltd (CNML) has donated football equipment to six basic schools in the Talensi District to promote sports development, nurture young talent and encourage holistic education in its host communities.
The beneficiary schools are located in its operational areas including Biung, Buugu, Datoko, Digaare, Sheaga and Tolla communities.
The equipment presented included football jerseys, footballs, pumps, football boots, socks (hose) and kit bags to support sporting activities in the schools.
At a brief ceremony to present the equipment , Mr Xiao Vincent Sun, Vice President and Director of Investment of CNML, said the donation reflected the company’s commitment to supporting education and sports as complementary pillars in developing well-rounded young people for sustainable future and development.
Mr Sun noted that while education equipped children with knowledge and skills, sports instilled discipline, teamwork, leadership, resilience and healthy lifestyles.
He said the donation was more than the provision of sports equipment, describing it as an investment in the future of children in the company’s host communities.
“We trust that these sports kits will inspire greater participation in sporting activities, nurture talent, strengthen teamwork among pupils, and create opportunities for healthy competition and personal growth,” he said.
Mr Sun commended the Ghana Education Service, school authorities, traditional leaders, parents and other stakeholders for their collaboration in supporting education and youth development.
He urged the beneficiary pupils to take good care of the equipment and continue striving for excellence both academically and in sports.
“On behalf of CNML, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to working hand in hand with our stakeholders to promote sustainable development and create opportunities that positively transform lives,” he added.
Mr John Millim Nabwomya, the Talensi District Chief Executive, commended CNML for the intervention, describing it as a significant investment in the health and holistic development of children in the district.
He said sports played an integral role in education by promoting physical fitness, discipline, teamwork, leadership, resilience and self-confidence, adding that many young people had transformed their lives through sporting activities.
According to him, the donation would encourage pupils to actively participate in sports, improve their physical well-being, reduce unhealthy lifestyles and help identify talents capable of representing the district, the nation and even the international sporting community.
Mr Nabwomya noted that the donation further demonstrated CNML’s commitment to the socio-economic development of Talensi, citing the company’s support for Farmers’ Day celebrations, Independence Day activities and other district programmes.
He appealed to the mining company to expand the initiative beyond equipment donation by partnering the Talensi District Assembly to organise an annual Community Unity Sports Festival involving schools, communities, traditional authorities, women and the youth.
The DCE also urged the beneficiary schools to maintain the equipment properly to ensure that future generations of pupils would benefit from it.
He assured the company of the Assembly’s continued support in promoting responsible mining, community development and sustainable partnerships in the district.
Mr Ayariga Mahamudu, the Headmaster for Tolla Presby Basic School, commended the CNML for the support over the years, saying the donation had relieved the schools the burden of getting sporting equipment for sporting activities.
CNML, wholly owned by Shandong Gold, a Chinese mining company, is currently undertaking open-cast (surface), environmentally friendly gold mining activities in Talensi, with an initial lifespan of 15 years.
Shandong Gold is among the top 10 gold producers globally, and the CNML mine in the Talensi District is Ghana’s largest single-stream gold mine and one of the largest in the West African sub-region.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Email: [email protected]