The multi-purpose sports facility, also known as the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex, has seen several years of neglect reduce it to an abode for reptiles as Citi Sports’ recent visit to the place revealed.

In April 2017, current Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah, announced that the facility would be redesigned at a cost of $4 million.

“We promised to fix the dilapidated sporting facilities in the country and that’s what we are doing. The Kaneshie Complex will be redeveloped into a multi-purpose sports complex that is capable of hosting our national teams. There’s also a 2-bedroom apartment there that we will fix for accommodation purposes,” Asiamah disclosed at the ceremony to handover a 3-bedroom apartment to Black Stars coach Kwesi Appiah.

Dr. Owusu Ansah, Technical Director at the ministry, disclosed that the new design was ready and would accommodate football, volleyball, handball, basketball, swimming and tennis facilities when completed.

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Source: GNA

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In a statement signed by Deputy Sports Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, Joshua Mensah will be made to explain why “he should not be sanctioned for making public comments of such serious nature without authorization.”

Mr. Mensah had received a lot of public backlash after he indicated to journalists that, it had become necessary to rent the stadium out for funerals and other social activities to enable them raise funds to maintain the fast-deteriorating facility.

“Let me be honest with you, no football match will be allowed at the Baba Yara stadium henceforth because we don’t make enough money from the matches to maintain the facility and so henceforth the stadium will be given out on Saturdays for only funerals and other social activities,” he said.

Mensah also revealed that, his decision had the backing from the Director General of the NSA, Robert Sarfo Mensah.

“Even my National director is happy with the decision I have taken here. If we are not careful, we will one day be met with news of the closure of the Stadium for the lack of proper maintenance”.

Following the public outcry, the Director General of the NSA, Robert Sarfo Mensah, rejected the claims by his subordinate.

“Officially, the NSA has not taken any decision to ban football matches at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. That is on record… no such decision has been made official so I call on all sports-loving Ghanaians and football lovers, the people who patronize our facilities on Saturdays, to disregard the directive. It is not official.”

See full statement below:

RE: BAN ON SATURDAY MATCHES AT BABA YARA SPORTS STADIUM 

It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, certain comments and suggestions made by the Regional Director of the National Sports Authority  (NSA), Ashanti Region to the effect that the Baba Yara Stadium may soon be closed to sporting activities on Saturdays in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi. 

This has generated some disquiet and apprehension. 

Whiles I commend the D-G of the NSA for swift reaction in indicating that no such decision has been made and approved, I have directed that the Regional Director be invited immediately to Accra to explain why he should not be sanctioned for making public comments of such serious nature without authorization.

Signed

Pius Enam Hadzide 

Deputy Minister

Poorly maintained Baba Yara stadium fast deteriorating

This comes on the back of a report by Citi News’ Hafiz Tijani who reported that  sections of the stadium have almost been turned into a dump site with broken seats and stained bathrooms combining to give the stadium a generally repulsive smell.

It is currently Ghana’s largest stadium with a seating capacity of 40,528.

However, its current state is one of a terribly maintained facility that lacks the capacity to be described as a standard sporting facility.

About the stadium

The stadium was originally built by the United African Company (UAC) in 1957, and inaugurated as a designated football pitch in 1959.

Its stands were constructed in 1971 before the entire stadium was rebuilt in 1977. In 2004 under President John Agyekum Kufuor, it was renamed after Kumasi-born footballer, Baba Yara.

The last major work on the facility was in 2008 ahead of Ghana’s hosting of the CAN 2008 tournament.

Worrying state of Azumah Nelson Sports Complex

Citi News had early on reported on the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex, a multi-purpose sports facility for the national teams, which is now engulfed in filth, and has become an abode for reptiles including snakes.

Instead of grooming the next generation of sportsmen and women, the facility now has become a condemned piece of architecture good for refuse and reptiles.

By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Captain of the side Asamoah Gyan had to eventually rescue the situation by paying for a direct chartered flight back to Ghana after the emphatic 5-1 win over Congo after it emerged that government had allegedly failed to deliver on its promise.

The alleged arrangement was to see government convey the players to Ghana by mid morning of September 6 after which they could depart for their various bases in Europe.

The story is however not corroborated by deputy sports Minister Pius Hadzide who insists that all necessary arrangements had been sorted out only for the players to take matters into their own hands for reasons unknown.

“Arrangements were made to convey them back to Accra.

“Our arrangement was that by this morning Air Ivoire will depart from Brazaville and arrive in Ghana by 10:30 in the morning.

“We are told that some of them may have wanted to arrive ahead of schedule.

“I don’t know but for some of them they had just won a match massively and they were excited.

“I do not know but I am told that one player or a couple of them got together to charter a flight.
“That should not be interpreted to mean that the Ministry did not do its job.

“We had a plan and were following through strictly with it,” he told Citi Sports in an interview.

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By:Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo was appointed by former President Johm Mahama in 2016 and his time in charge of the Ministry was marked by open disagreements with the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

While the GFA accused the Minister of ‘witch-hunting’ and trying to find faults with their deeds, he said he only wanted to ensure that there was transparency in the domain.

In line with that assertion, he recently stated in an interview on Atinka TV’s “Sports Court” that he refused to take sums of money he considered as bribes from several people since very often their origins were very unclear.

He said as quoted on Ghana Soccernet:

“It is not only Muntaka (Mubarak) but I know what led to the downfall of Rashid Pelpuo and several other ministers. “There were attempts made by GFA officials to bribe me but I was smarter than them. I rejected envelopes that were sent to me without a proper source. You have to ask why I never traveled with the national teams on their trips while I was in office. When a minister travels with the team, a lot of things happen.”

He went on to say: “I have been in this and I know. While on trip with the team, they will bring you an envelope full of money in dollars and you’ll not even be allowed to sign for it.”

“I will say some of the previous sports ministers were not so much on top of football issues and so they made some payments and approved budgets which were way off. It is not only Inusah Fuseini who planted a camera in his office. I also had a camera and I recorded all the suspicious meetings I had in my office.”

‘There are a lot of things that I have kept because I know that if I break my silence, it will not end well for Ghana football,” he added.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye was replaced by Isaac Asiamah in January 2017 when the New Patrotic Party came into office after winning the 2016 General Elections.

By: Citi Sports

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[contextly_sidebar id=”BRBkRG4C2yknlQvw95ZlF0z1b9TRBfIO”]The President, who flew from Liberia to Accra for the SWAG awards on Saturday night, said the amount is a hundred percent increment from the 2016 budget.

President Akufo-Addo also indicated that government is formulating a policy that will cushion sports men and women who retire.

“My government is beginning to show its appreciation of the role of sports to the development of our nation by the increase of over 100 percent in the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Sports in this year’s Asempa budget.We have gone from 21 million in last year’s budget to 46 million in this year’s budget. It is the beginning of good things to come,” the President said.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta during the presentation of the 2017 budget, revealed government’s intention to allocate the said amount to the Ministry.

The budget had also mentioned that there would some feasibility work done in relation to the rehabilitation of the national stadia in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Essipong.

In the 2016 budget, the renovation of these stadia was mentioned but no work was done on these edifices.

In terms of national teams, the 2017 budget indicated that the Black Queens, Black Princesses, Maidens, the Black Starlets and the Black Stars will all be involved in national assignments.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Odotei, who is the Member of Parliament for La-Dadekotopon Constituency on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party, has been pencilled down for the role.

Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to announce the names of his deputy ministers this week.

The former King Faisal Chief Executive is expected to be named as Isaac Asiamah’s deputy and will bring his rich experience to bear on the job.

His appointment is however an interesting one as he will have to combine working as a member of Parliament, managing affairs at Hearts of Oak and serving his constituency which voted him to Parliament.

Odotei lost to incumbent Kwesi Nyantakyi in his quest to become the Ghana FA boss 10-years ago.

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By: Rahman Osman

The post Odotei Sowah set to be named deputy Sports Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to a press release from Ministry signed by Mr Elvis Adjei-Baah, the Public Relations Officer, it said, it has has noted that there were “speculations” on various media platforms that the Ministry flew fans to Egypt to support the Black Stars.

“The Ministry’s attention has been drawn to speculations on various media networks that we are airlifting supporters to Alexandria, Egypt.

“The Ministry would want to clearly state that no such decision is being or has been taken by the Ministry.
“This is in view of the fact that such decision would be in breach of the governments white paper on the report of the Dzamefe Commission”.

According to the release, the Ministry could only “encourage private sponsorships” for the various groups of which “we appropriately backed” the Ghana Supporters Union (GHANSU) to solicit funds from corporate organizations in their bid to galvanize support for the Black Stars in Egypt.

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Source: GNA

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