Low Publicity for 2013 Unity Games

The National Sports Authority NSA has
selected 11 sporting disciplines for the 2013 National Unity Games to be staged
in Kumasi. They are Athletics, Boxing, Basketball, Handball, Volleyball,
Karate-do, Taekwondo, Swimming, Badminton, Table Tennis and Disabled Sports,
with Weightlifting and Wrestling to be competed on non – scoring basis.
The 2013 Unity Games are scheduled
for August 11 to 18, 2013 and the Kumasi Sports Stadium will be the venue for
the actions to see new rising sports men and women and the experienced old ones
who want to leave legacies before they quit.
The number of disciplines was cut
from 20 as held in Accra in 2011 to 11 due to financial and logistic constraints
and those selected are the possible ones considered to be participated in the
coming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The cost of organizing the event in
GHC 2.5 Million and the Authority is counting on the government and corporate
bodies to contribute to make it possible for about 3,000 sportsmen and women to
showcase their talents.
According to Madam Alice Attipoe,
Acting Director General of the NSA, they expect GHC 1.5 million from the
government and GHC 1 million from companies whom they have written to for
support.
The Games which was launched in
Kumasi by the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Authority has not got the
media attention expected as most sports media practitioners are not aware of so
many things.
Although the Games is on the
calendar of the NSA, most sports men and women are not aware of the dates and
have not prepared adequately towards it, but they will compete because it has
come and they ought to take part.
Many sports people whom yours truly
spoke to said they are not happy with the way the lesser known sporting
disciplines are managed. Apart from Football and to some extent Boxing, most
sports disciplines are not being administered to the satisfaction of
participants, the media and the general sports public.