Danish NGO to Support Sport Development in Ghana.

Bolgatanga, Feb. 20, GNA - Sport For All, a Danish Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) is to establish its Ghana offices in the Upper East Region to support the development of sports in the country.

The Director of the NGO, Dr. Ole Jacobsen said his outfit would provide the support through training in management skills to the various sporting clubs in the regions and organize tournaments as well as give equipment to the clubs to facilitate their development.

Dr. Jacobsen said this in Bolgatanga on Thursday when he met the various sporting clubs in the region to assess their needs and present a comprehensive report to donors to seek for funding.

The Director has already toured some regions including the Central, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Northern for the needs assessment exercise. Briefing GNA Sports later, he said he was researching into developing lesser sports in Africa through the provision of services such as seminars and training, provision of sporting equipment and financial remittances.

Dr Jacobsen said that his outfit had chosen Ghana to make it the first country for the pilot project with its headquarters in the Upper East Region.

He noted that sporting clubs in the country require various kinds of needs including managerial, finance and marketing and added that his NGO is poised to raise the standards of these clubs through service delivery.

Dr. Jacobsen said his outfit's activities are being funded by the Danish Workers Sport Federation (DIA), a multi-purpose umbrella organization of about 700 sporting clubs in various disciplines in Denmark, adding that DIA is also a member of the International Labour Sports Confederation (CSIT).

He said Sport For All also solicits support from various clubs by collecting their used jerseys and other sporting equipment to develop less resourceful ones.

The Director added that DIA is celebrating its 75th anniversary in June this year, and as part of the celebration it would increase its support to funding less developed disciplines.

The Regional Sports Development Officer, Mr. John Bosco Abase, enumerated the needs of the clubs in the region to include lack of managerial knowledge, finance and facilities such as up to date playing fields, stadiums and sports equipment.

He commended Dr. Jacobsen for his foresight and said the Regional Sports Council would give the project its needed support, adding that the project when implemented would take care of some of the sporting needs of the region.