Government to strengthen school sports, upgrade Volta sports facilities

The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has announced plans to strengthen school sports and improve sports infrastructure across the country, with the Volta Region set to benefit from the government's sports development agenda.

Speaking during a visit to the Volta Region, the Minister said the government had identified school sports as the foundation for developing athletes and was taking steps to make sports part of the educational system rather than an activity that depended on available time or funding.

He said school sports coordinators and their deputies had been appointed to ensure sporting activities were organised consistently in schools. According to him, the arrangement was already helping to revive school sports across the country.

The Minister said the 2026 national budget increased allocations for goods and services to enable the ministry to procure sports equipment for schools.

He explained that the initiative would expose students to a wider range of sporting disciplines, including shot put, discus and javelin, while giving them opportunities to train with the equipment.

Mr Adams also announced that Parliament had established a Sports Fund under Act 1159 to provide dedicated financing for sports development.

He added that the President had directed the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to explore additional funding sources, including allocating a percentage of proceeds from the lottery and gaming sectors to support sports.

He said the ministry was also promoting recreation as part of its strategy to improve public health. He explained that encouraging people to participate in recreational activities would help reduce inactivity and lower the risk of non-communicable diseases.

Mr Adams said the facility at the Ho Sports Stadium would be redesigned and upgraded. He noted that although the current structure did not meet the standard of a modern stadium, its central location made it suitable for redevelopment.

He said the ministry would engage traditional authorities, the youth and other stakeholders before work began to determine the additional facilities needed to transform the venue into a modern sports complex.

The Minister added that a completed stadium would complement the airport in the region by attracting sports teams, spectators, business travellers, and other visitors, thereby increasing economic activity.

He also announced plans to improve community parks across the country by replacing poorly constructed artificial pitches with natural grass where conditions allow. He said the parks would be equipped with solar-powered lighting and boreholes to ensure the pitches could be maintained throughout the year.

He assured the people of the Volta Region that the region would benefit from the government's sports development programmes as efforts continued to improve sports facilities and expand opportunities for participation at all levels.