The Head of the National Sports Authority in Ashanti Region, Joshua Mensah has issued a directive not to allow any football match to be played at the Baba Yara sports stadium on Saturdays with immediate effect.
Speaking at a media briefing at the stadium to launch the African Confederations cup campaign of Asante Kotoko, the regional director indicated that Saturdays have been earmarked for the hiring of the stadium for funerals and other social activities in order to raise enough funds for the maintenance of the national edifice.
“Let me be honest with you no football match will be allowed at the Baba Yara stadium henceforth because we don’t make enough money from the matches to maintain the facility and so henceforth the stadium will be giving out on Saturdays for only Funerals and other social activities”
Quizzed on whether this decision will not be detrimental to the development of Sports for which the Facility was built, the Regional director Joshua Mensah further justified the decision and even revealed that the decision to ban football activities on Saturday has been endorsed by the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Robert Sarfo Mensah as a good decision.
“Even my National director is happy with the decision I have taken here. If we are not careful we will one day be met with news of the closure of the Stadium for the lack of proper maintenance”.
The Baba Yara sports stadium was renovated for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2008 which was hosted in Ghana.