National Eyesore: Azumah Nelson sports complex is a disgrace to a legend

by Isaac Darko
Ghana has a training facility that complimented the efforts of the Accra Sports Stadium and the El-Wak Sports Stadium during the organization and hosting of major sporting activities. This facility is the Kaneshie Sports Complex, now the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex.

It is a multi-use stadium in Accra, originally built during the era of the Supreme Military Council under General Acheampong in the 1970s. It can host a wide range of indoor disciplines.

This sports complex which, has been the training grounds for many soccer legend, has a basketball court, a football field, tracks for athletes, a handball court as well as two lawn tennis court, built to contribute to the production of sportsmen and women for the country.

A visit to the premises reveal a sorrow state of the once revered sports facility which was home to many sporting activities in the years past.

The football field becomes waterlogged as soon as it rains making it unusable by young football talents who want to replicate the success of our soccer greats, while the inner perimeter fencing have been swallowed up by creeping plants, making it virtually invisible.

The tracks for athletics have been over taken by bushes. in The wired mesh which shielded the football field is  broken and the bleachers built to host spectators who come to watch games have all  deteriorated.

The basketball court has also been overtaken by the growing bush and some parts have been overtaken by sand from some eroded parts of the field with a portion now being used as a waste site.

But for the lawn tennis court is diminishing at an alarming rate. The handball court is no exception, as the scoreboard has totally worn out.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has however pledged to upgrade the former Kaneshie Sports Complex now Azumah Nelson Sports Complex.

'Uplifting of this facility will be my first project as a Minister of Youth and Sports,' Mr Ayariga said on Thursday, July 17 when he toured the seemingly derelict facility in North Kaneshie, Accra.

We are hoping that the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex would be in good shape to reflect the personality of the boxer whose name it bears for all the dignity and glory he brought to Ghana.