The Japan Embassy has handed over a newly constructed baseball and softball field worth 123,453.00 US dollars at Labone Senior High School to the Ghana Baseball and Softball Association (GBSA).
The project is in line with the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) 2012 – 2013 (volume 1), which recognizes the importance of sports in individual and national development and also seeks to improve sport infrastructure.
It was also in line with the Japan Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Project Scheme that seeks to improve sport and cultural exchange relations between the two countries, naming the field Ghana – Japan memorial field.
The handing over of the facility will make it possible for the GHABSA to organize school and club tournaments to encourage the youth in Ghana to generate interest in the sporting area.
Mr Albert Frimpong, President, GBSA, thanked the government and people of Japan for the assistance since it will improve the development of baseball in the country.
He also thanked the management of the Labone Senior High School for donating the land for the project, acknowledging the fact that although the unique sporting activity had been on-going in the country for years, the GBSA had been faced with infrastructure challenges and a permanent field of operation making it difficult to organize tournaments.
He assured that with the availability of the field GBSA will be organizing school competition to develop the interest of the young ones in the game
Mr. Naoto Nikai, ambassador of Japan to Ghana said the construction and Utilization of the field will further improve the cultural exchange between Japan and Ghana and deepen the already cordial relations between the two countries.
He started that he is confident that the baseball and softball field will contribute significantly to enable the national baseball team to qualify for the Olympics, particularly the 2020 Olympics which will be hosted by Japan.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Commended the Japanese government for its continuous assistance in the development of sports infrastructure in the country, and also Labone Senior High school for donating the land.
He promised the Ministries preparedness to help the development of baseball in the country.
Baseball equipment was presented to GBSA by the Association for Friends o African Baseball (AFAB) from Japan and the Africa Development Foundation in United States of America.
The handing over ceremony was followed by a game between the Japanese Select Side and their Ghanaian counterparts.
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