SONA 2018: What President Akufo-Addo said about sports

9th Feb 2018 | Source: graphic.com.gh

President Akufo-Addo says government is committed to developing young Ghanaian footballers and has taken steps to revive the dwindling fortunes of the sport at juvenile level by constructing a number of football pitches in the Zongos and across the country.

The President in the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) today (Thursday, February 8) at Parliament House in Accra said government remains committed to the development of football in the country.

Government's construction of pitches is in collaboration with Wembley Sports Complex (WSC), a privately owned Ghanaian Company with experience in the construction and management of artificial football pitches in Ghana.

WSC is expected to construct artificial football pitches in all the 270 constituencies in the country as part of a project sponsored by OmniBnak and its subsidiary Union Capital

Dubbed “One Constituency, One Artificial Turf,” the national project is expected to free the country from its over-reliance on grass pitches due to inconsistent rainfall patterns.

The project kickstarted in June, 2017 and is expected to be completed in 2019.

He also stated that government will this year also continue the process of passing the Legislative Instrument of the National Youth and Sports Act, pursue the enactment of the draft National Sports College bill and create a Sports Fund to improve sports development in the country.

Read all what President Akufo-Addo said about Ghanaian sports in the SONA today;

"Mr Speaker, this year we will continue the process of passing the Legislative Instrument of the National Youth and Sports Act, pursue the enactment of the draft National Sports College bill and create a Sports Fund to improve sports development in the country.

"Government also remains committed to the development of football in the country.

"We have began the rehabilitation of the Accra Sports Stadium, otherwise known as the Ohene Djan Stadium and in partnership with the Inner City and Zongo Development Ministry and the Ghana Football Association we are constructing a number of football pitches in the Zongos and across the country to aid in the revival of colts football which has been responsible for the production of talents such as Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah.

"We need to catch the talents at a young age if Ghanaian football is to continue with its traditions of excellence and perform well on the national and international stage".