Cape Coast, Feb. 28, GNA – The Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA), has handed over an artificial football turf constructed at a cost of GHC1.6 million to the Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast.
The turf, a FIFA-standard football pitch with an eight-year minimum guarantee, is the second phase of a proposed four-phased ‘Kwabotwe Centre for Sports Excellence’ project being sponsored by MOBA to facilitate sports development in the school and other schools within the Cape Coast Metropolis.
The first was a GHC1.2 million basketball court adjacent to the turf and the third would be an international standard eight-lane athletic track expected to be completed later this year.
The commissioning of the project was marked by an exhibition football match between the Lead Sponsoring Year Groups; MOBA 1991 and MOBA 1992 who were respectively sponsors of the projects last year and this year.
The match ended 3-1 in favour of MOBA 92, followed by a thriller between the Mfantsipim School and Adisadel College with the former winning by 2-1.
Mr Kofi Essel-Appiah, the Project Manager described the initial stages of the project as “daunting” and commended the old boys for their commitment and pledged to support the next phase almost immediately.
He indicated that the pitch would be used to unearth football talents and urged the school’s authorities not to use it as grounds for funerals and other related events.
Captain Paul Forjoe, the Ebusuapanyin of MOBA, said plans were afoot to institute a management body to maintain and raise funds from the facility.
“We have decided to situate a police station here for security purposes. The Cape Coast community would like to use this place and we cannot stop them, but the situation must be managed,” he said.
Captain Forjoe also reiterated efforts by MOBA to construct a water system for its alma mater to ensure adequate water supply in the school.
Reverend Ebenezer Aidoo, the Headmaster of the school, expressed appreciation for the project with a promise to ensure proper maintenance of the facility.
He further appealed to the Old Boys to continue to support the project to realise its full dream.
Upon completion of the four-phased project, it is also expected to have a swimming pool complex, a multipurpose hand and volleyball court and other supporting infrastructures such as a gym, washrooms and spectator stand.
For his part, Nana Yaw Amponsah, the CEO of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, encouraged schools in the region to build synergies through memoranda of agreements to develop sports together since resources were difficult to come by.
“I will advise that once Mfantsipim has put up this pitch and a basketball court, another school should put up a different sporting facility so that together, we can go round and use them.
“I would keep my eye here for the best of talents to join my darling Asante Kotoko. So, the best players should watch out.
“I will be coming around to watch their inter-school matches and if I see good talent, we are going to include them into the Asante Kotoko team,” he added.
GNA