The Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has said that government will not abandon any of the 10- Youth and Sports multipurpose centres being constructed across the country.
The 10 Regional Youth Resource Centres commenced in 2018 under the then Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Emmanuel Sin-yet Asigri and the former Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah.
The project came to halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NYA in consultation with the Sports minister decided to segment the project and complete them in time. Phase two of six out of the 10 was thus awarded.
The six are Wa, Ho, Koforidua, Dunkwa-On-Offin, Dormaa Ahenkro and Axim.
Works are currently ongoing at the six which has been awarded. The Sports Minister on his inspection tour to Ho and Koforidua on Monday promised that President Nana Akufo-Addo is committed to ensuring the project is completed.
“Government will not abandon any multipurpose centers being constructed across the country”, he told journalists after inspecting the Ho and Koforidua Youth and Sports multipurpose centres on Monday.
He also enumerated the various investment in sports infrastructure which includes about $200m investment in the facilities for the hosting and organization of the 13th African Games, the renovation and rehabilitation of our National Stadia, construction of the 10 youth resource centers, and the over 140 Astro turfs constructed across the country.
The CEO of NYA, Pius Enam Hadzide indicated that the six projects which commenced phase two are expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of this year. The rest he added will soon commence the construction of phase two.
The facility will have a seating capacity of 10,000 people. The facility will include a FIFA-standard football pitch, a modern nine-lane athletic track, lawn tennis, basketball, handball, and volleyball courts, as well as a gymnasium.
It will also include a counseling center, an information technology center, an entrepreneurship center, and a modern restaurant.
These, he indicated are clear evidence of the government’s huge investment in sports.
By Herbert Boakye Yiadom