First Accra Biennial Football Expo opens in Accra

Accra, March 20, GNA - Mr. O. B. Amoah, a Deputy Minister of Education and Sports has tasked the main actors in sports development to identify the financial and economic planning strategies that would encourage the allocation of resources and investments in the sectors associated with football and sports in general.

"Football as a sport is an effective catalyst for economic development," he said adding that football delivery services, infrastructure development and sports advertising contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product of a country. Mr. Amoah said this at the opening of a five-day First Accra Biennial Football Expo organized by RICS Consults, a sports consulting firm.

The programme, littered with immaculate chorography display by a selected group assembled by Ghana's ace chorographer, Nii Yartey also featured exhibition of football artistry by ex-Okwawu United player Alex Donkor.

The epoch making event features among others, football administrators, club officials, kit manufacturers and those involved in the football related industry.

The Expo under the theme, "Redefining the commercial value of football in Africa," intends to chart a new course for the game on the continent through marketing and commercialization.

The Deputy Minister said Ghana has identified sports as a means of creating wealth and developing her human resource base.

"It is for this reason that Ghana's growth and poverty reduction strategy - 2006-2009, the key development framework which has been used to inform all key policy and budgetary decisions, identifies sports as a priority area in human resource development," he said.

The goal, Mr. Amoah said is to strengthen the capacities of the national sports institutions and organizations and enhance the investment of corporate bodies in investing in sports promotion and development.

He said subsequently, government is reforming the sports sector by enacting a National Sports Law, which will identify better ways of developing, managing and promoting an effective and efficient sports sector.

The law will help finance sports related facilities and activities. There were messages from a representative of the Confederation of African Football, (CAF) Mr. Habuba Suleman, the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kofi Nsiah and J. Y. Appiah, Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) among others. The event, which features some exhibitors from sister African countries particularly Nigeria is being supported by CAF and the GFA.