Excellence seed sown for Western Region Sports reform

120 leading personalities involved in Western Region Sports Economy and others spent good seven hours discussing solutions to reform Western Region Sports economy on Friday 31st May 2019.

In Chairman's acceptance message Nana Kobina Nketsia V, set the tone by prescribing attitudinal change and development of a pragmatic strategic sustainable plan as requisite inputs required to transform sports development in Western Region.

In his welcome address, the Western Regional Minister who doubles as MP for Takoradi Constituency posited that the state of Essipon Stadium reflects the current status of Western Region Sports Economy.

He stated that operationalizing the 2016 Sports Act 934 in Western Region provides the structure on which the new sports economy could be built.

He expressed confidence in the new regional sports committee who took 21 days to organize this forum to collate ideas on how to achieve the vision of Making Western Region the best in Sports in Ghana in terms of opportunities for Talent development and economic contribution.

All 14 District Sports Units, as well as the Regional Sports Committee we’re surly inaugurated by the regional minister before Professor Thomas Twumasi, Director General of National Sports Authority, delivered a message on behalf of the Minister of Sports. He disclosed that Essipon rehabilitation works have been catered for in the new 6 years Ghana Sports Renaissance Plan that would be launched in a few weeks time by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

He charged participants to find develop a sustainable plan to make Essipon Stadium impact as desired.

He commended Hon Darko Mensah and expressed appreciation for the initiative to operationalize 2016 Sports Act 934 and recommended other regions to emulate this strategic move.

He further pledged full cooperation of the National Sports Authority to achieve the vision of Western Region Sports Committee.

The main paper, ‘Awakening the Sports Economy of Western Region’ was aptly delivered by Magnus Rex Danquah, a member of the Sports Policy Review Committee and Consultant for Sports Fund.

Mr Rex Danquah emphasized the need for a paradigm shift among people involved to see sports as a business that involved the game players, officials, event organizers, Customers, Media, Hospitality and other support services. He prescribed purposeful retraining and aspiring for excellence as necessary to awaken the Sports Economy of WR.

He charged MMDCEs to champion the project by investing in the district sports economic development.

The formal part of the Colloquium was brought to an end after the Chairman of the Regional Sports Committee, Wilson Arthur who is also the Dean of MMDCEs and DCE of Wassa East took his turn to deliver a message.

Hon Arthur revealed that Participants were carefully selected to represent the entire Sport Economy Actors and everyone had experience and expertise to share.

He challenged them to accept responsibility for the current state of Western Regional Sports Economy, as their actions and inactions contributed to the outcomes.

He was optimistic that Participants after the event will have clearer goals, roles and targets. The Participants were grouped into six committees for the brainstorming session namely; Enhancing Sports professionalism and Career Counseling, Technical Development and District Sports Organization, Schools and Colleges Sports, Sports Development, Infrastructure Development and Management Services and Regional Sports Organisation and Financing.

The group works presentation and discussions was very insightful with Rex Danquah creatively guiding the process. At the end of the event, it was evident that the seed of excellence had been sown.

It is now up to Actors in the Sports Economy to nurture and grow the Sports Economy they all desire.