Sports Council urged to enforce rules prohibiting smoking at stadiums

Ejisu, (Ash), Sept. 12, GNA - The Ejisu-Zongo/Krapa Kotoko Supporters Union have appealed to the National Sports Council (NSC) to adopt more pragmatic strategies at enforcing the rules and bye-laws which prohibit smoking and sale of alcoholic beverages at all league centres and sports stadium in the country.

Mr. K.A. Abu Seidu, Chairman of the Union who made the appeal at Ejisu said the NSC should go beyond merely cautioning sports fans about such an unhealthy practice while displaying billboards in and outside the stadiums and league centres forbidding people from engaging in such acts.

Mr. Seidu made the appeal when members of the Union in collaboration with the Ejisu-Zongo Unit Committee undertook a clean-up exercise in the Zongo community at Ejisu on Sunday.

The members disilted choked gutters, swept the surroundings and sprayed the areas infested with mosquitoes in the community. The Union also condemned the habit of some sports fans who resort to the throwing of water plastic bags and wine cans at officials during football matches simply because they were dissatisfied with decisions of the officials.

Mr. Seidu said that match officials have the final say on interpreting the rules and advised that supporters or players who disagreed with any decisions of the officials should rather follow the laid down procedures for redress instead of attacking the officials. He stressed that football matches or tournaments were not won by the degree of attacks on officials but on the skills of the playing body coupled with the comportment and discipline of supporters at all times. Mr. Asamoah Yaw, the Ejisu-Zongo Unit Committee Chairman appealed to all landlords in the community to respect the guidelines for construction of houses and to make provision for toilets in their households during construction of such facilities.

He observed that the absence of toilet facilities in most of the houses was creating an environmental problem for the community.