10th Security Games comes off in October

Accra, March 29, GNA - The 10th Security Services Sports Association (SESSA) Games to be hosted by the Ghana Armed Forces will take place from October 16-26 at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra.

The event, which is now a bi-annual affair, was originally scheduled to take place last year but was moved forward after the stakeholders made up of the Security Service Sports Council (SESSCO) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MoESS) decided to make it a biannual event.

Lieutenant General Joseph Boateng Danquah, Chief of Defence Staff in an address at the inauguration of the planning Committees for the event, said the shift of the Games from annual to a bi-annual event was to afford the competing teams the opportunity to train better to make the Games have a competitive edge.

The Committees are the Publicity, Refreshment, Audit, Finance, Jury of Appeal, Disciplinary, Planning, Oganisation and Technical and Prizes and Rewards.

The Chief of Defence Staff said the new arrangement is also to allow the Services to align their individual internal sports programmes with the SESSA calendar to reduce any congestion of their yearly sports activities.

Lt. General Danquah who is also the Chairman of SESSCO, expressed optimism that the change in the calendar will allow for the revival of the Games whilst allowing for new talents to emerge.

Citing the encouraging performance of the teams of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana National Fire Service at the recent Africa Hockey Club Championships, he envisaged that with such show of dedication the performance of the security services would soon be translated to dominance into football and to produce a league champion.

The SESSCO Chairman urged the members of the various Committees to carry out their duties with zeal and devotion to ensure the success of the event.

Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports said government regards the SESSA Games as a very crucial tool in the development of talents and producing of sports personalities for the nation.

"It is for this reason that the Games have been inculcated into the national sports calendar.

"This is why the government is spending over two million dollars to rehabilitate the El-Wak Stadium to serve as a major sports centre for the Security services and the National Sports Council." Mr Amoah urged the various Committees to study the recommendations of the previous Games, pay special attention to transportation, communication, sponsorship and financial problems that may be encountered.

The Deputy Minister said the Games will form part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations and should be aimed at fostering friendship, solidarity and unity as well as promoting sports excellence among the Security Services.

The Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Prisons Service will compete at the Games.