Minister advocates for professionalism in Sports
Gilbert Boyefio, Berlinda Baafi
20/08/08
The Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Education, O B Amoah, has observed that Ghana can perform better if the country approaches the administration, development and promotion of sports in a more professional manner.
The Deputy Minister said with the provision of adequate facilities, improvement in equipment supply, training and recruitment of qualified personnel, scientific selection and training of sports talents, Ghana;s sports should be more competitive.
Speaking at the press launch of the Azumah Nelson Foundation in Accra, Mr Amoah disclosed that Government’s approach to sports development had been to ensure that within a short period, Ghana’s name will be visibly noticed on the world sporting map while in the long term a solid foundation is laid for sustained sports development and more lasting results in multiple sports disciplines.
Taking stock of government’s achievement in sports, the Deputy Minister said Ghana had successfully hosted the African Cup of Nations much to the admiration of the whole world. He said the nation had constructed four excellent stadia, and was constructing a fifth one in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital. “These facilities and others to be constructed, especially sports halls across the country for which the Government has almost secured funding, should provide us the opportunity to identify, groom and train our talents to excel at major competitions”, he added.
Paying glowing tribute to Ghana’s only boxing Professor, Azumah Nelson, Mr Amoah pointed out that “It is significant that he (Azumah) was seeking to establish an academy which would not only focus on boxing, but all disciplines”. He said Azumah’s desire to open windows of opportunity for the youth of Ghana to attain excellence in academics and sports disciplines deserved all support from the general public, the private and public sectors. According to him, government had been assisting in the establishment of academies through tax and duties exemptions on goods imported specifically for these academies.
“Government identifies academies as centre of learning and has provided guidelines to ensure that the youth undergo training under very congenial conditions to derive maximum benefits”, adding, “an academy is expected to provide facilities for accommodation, staffing, learning, educational and technical programmes and for health and safety of all students.”
The mission of the Azumah Nelson Foundation is to establish youth leadership training centres of excellence that would offer educational, vocational, professional and sports skills development opportunities to the disadvantaged but talented among the youth to realize their individual potentials. The foundation would also undertake periodic health, sanitation and environmental outreach programmes that would target the rural and peri-urban poor to empower them through education and poverty reduction interventions to improve their lot.
According to Peggy Azumah Nelson, a Board Member of the Foundation and wife of the boxing legend, it (Foundation) was established in 2004, adding that a 50-acre land at Akuse in the Eastern Region, had been acquired for the purpose of setting up the first Azumah Nelson Foundation Youth Leadership Centre of Excellence which was estimated to cost USD$23,444,960.00. According to her, the Foundation would be launched on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at the Banquette Hall; with Ghana’s President Kufuor and Jose Sulaiman, President of the World Boxing Council, as guest of hounour and keynote speaker respectively.
The Foundation has P V Obeng as the Chairman of the Board, Prof Azumah Nelson as the Chief Executive Officer and a member. The rest of the Board Members are Ray Quarcoo, Dr Yemon, David Harper, Walter Esposito, Nii Kofi Adjinkwa, Alhaji Enusa, Eben Kay Hodo, Peggy Azumah Nelson and Pat Hodo.
“I stand in front of you today to express my appreciation to the media for your support of me during my boxing days, I am appealing to you for the same support in my new endeavour”, Azumah Nelson expressed in a short address.
20/08/08
The Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Education, O B Amoah, has observed that Ghana can perform better if the country approaches the administration, development and promotion of sports in a more professional manner.
The Deputy Minister said with the provision of adequate facilities, improvement in equipment supply, training and recruitment of qualified personnel, scientific selection and training of sports talents, Ghana;s sports should be more competitive.
Speaking at the press launch of the Azumah Nelson Foundation in Accra, Mr Amoah disclosed that Government’s approach to sports development had been to ensure that within a short period, Ghana’s name will be visibly noticed on the world sporting map while in the long term a solid foundation is laid for sustained sports development and more lasting results in multiple sports disciplines.
Taking stock of government’s achievement in sports, the Deputy Minister said Ghana had successfully hosted the African Cup of Nations much to the admiration of the whole world. He said the nation had constructed four excellent stadia, and was constructing a fifth one in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital. “These facilities and others to be constructed, especially sports halls across the country for which the Government has almost secured funding, should provide us the opportunity to identify, groom and train our talents to excel at major competitions”, he added.
Paying glowing tribute to Ghana’s only boxing Professor, Azumah Nelson, Mr Amoah pointed out that “It is significant that he (Azumah) was seeking to establish an academy which would not only focus on boxing, but all disciplines”. He said Azumah’s desire to open windows of opportunity for the youth of Ghana to attain excellence in academics and sports disciplines deserved all support from the general public, the private and public sectors. According to him, government had been assisting in the establishment of academies through tax and duties exemptions on goods imported specifically for these academies.
“Government identifies academies as centre of learning and has provided guidelines to ensure that the youth undergo training under very congenial conditions to derive maximum benefits”, adding, “an academy is expected to provide facilities for accommodation, staffing, learning, educational and technical programmes and for health and safety of all students.”
The mission of the Azumah Nelson Foundation is to establish youth leadership training centres of excellence that would offer educational, vocational, professional and sports skills development opportunities to the disadvantaged but talented among the youth to realize their individual potentials. The foundation would also undertake periodic health, sanitation and environmental outreach programmes that would target the rural and peri-urban poor to empower them through education and poverty reduction interventions to improve their lot.
According to Peggy Azumah Nelson, a Board Member of the Foundation and wife of the boxing legend, it (Foundation) was established in 2004, adding that a 50-acre land at Akuse in the Eastern Region, had been acquired for the purpose of setting up the first Azumah Nelson Foundation Youth Leadership Centre of Excellence which was estimated to cost USD$23,444,960.00. According to her, the Foundation would be launched on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at the Banquette Hall; with Ghana’s President Kufuor and Jose Sulaiman, President of the World Boxing Council, as guest of hounour and keynote speaker respectively.
The Foundation has P V Obeng as the Chairman of the Board, Prof Azumah Nelson as the Chief Executive Officer and a member. The rest of the Board Members are Ray Quarcoo, Dr Yemon, David Harper, Walter Esposito, Nii Kofi Adjinkwa, Alhaji Enusa, Eben Kay Hodo, Peggy Azumah Nelson and Pat Hodo.
“I stand in front of you today to express my appreciation to the media for your support of me during my boxing days, I am appealing to you for the same support in my new endeavour”, Azumah Nelson expressed in a short address.
Good job Azumah Nelson. Ghana is proud of you. May God continue to bless you and your family.
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