Minister assures NSC on worn-out Tartan tracks

Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Youth and Sports has assured the National Sports Council (NSC) that the deplorable state of the tartan tracks at the Accra Sports Stadium would be given the desired attention in the foreseeable future.

At a familiarisation tour of the NSC and facilities under it, the minister said it is not good for the image of the country if athletes continue to train and the NSC goes to countries like Burkina Faso to borrow electronic timing devises before we can get the correct times of our runners.

He tasked the NSC to assume the day-to-day administration of sports in the country so that Ghana is able to compete with the very best in sports globally.

"The era where every body rushes to the Sports Ministry to have all their problems solved is a thing of the past since I intend to let people put in positions do exactly what they are expected do.

"For the NSC to effectively play this role, we would need bold and new initiatives to enable the them to secure sponsorship since government alone cannot support sports anymore, hence the need for the private sector to move forward."

He said there is the need for everyone to know that sports is not Soccer even though it is the passion of the nation, "but our over reliance on it has led us not winning any laurels in the other disciplines."

Papa Ankomah said during his tenure, he intends to make sports work and people who are put in responsible places must deliver so that in the end Ghanaians would not point accusing fingers at the ministry.

"I do not believe in hand picking people into positions for them to hold allegiances to me, but rather I would like a criterion to evolve where only the best are put in places where they can deliver."