The government has been called upon to consider outsourcing the management of state’s marquee sports stadia, namely Accra, Baba Yara, Sekondi and Tamale to competent private bodies to ensure regular and proper maintenance of these facilities and also to generate revenue for sports development in the countries.
A communiqué released yesterday by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, following recommendations by a group of eminent football personalities who met last week for a two-day retreat to brainstorm on the future of the sport, proposed the development of the unassigned space designed for a three-star 40–room hotel facility each at the Tamale and Sekondi Stadia for commercial use to generate revenue for sports development.
The two-day retreat in Accra was sponsored by the ministry in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and brought together former chairmen and members of the FA, club administrators and some retired footballers.
In its 15-point recommendations, the eminent group proposed that the ministry should expedite action to ensure the passing into law of the National Sports and Sports Tourism Bill, to provide the framework for the establishment of sports as an emerging industry in Ghana, and positioning it to become one of the major drivers of the economy in terms of job creation, infrastructure development, entertainment and sports tourism.
Among the recommendations was a review of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Constitution for an upper ceiling for the tenure of office for the FA president to run for two terms of four years per term, giving the FA boss a total term of eight years only. However, any outgoing FA president who has served two terms can only be re-elected to serve further terms provided the FA Congress appreciate his performance while in office and endorses a bid to extend the tenure of office.
The group recommended that the Ministry considers extending and institutionalising the concept of “Eminent Persons in Sports” beyond just football to provide a non-partisan, all-inclusive platform for brainstorming on matters affecting topical issues relating to the promotion and development all other sporting disciplines on biennial basis.
Similarly, such a brainstorming session could be institutionalised as requisite vehicle as a post-event evaluation process to review the nation’s participation in major international sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games.