Government to provide sporting facilities to military bases

Accra, Dec. 16, GNA- Vice President John Dramani Mahama has announced that government was determined to provide complex sporting facilities for all Military bases in the country to ensure that the personnel were physically fit to carry out their defensive programmes.

Mr Mahama announced these when he inaugurated the Ghana Armed Forces Sports Complex at Burma Camp in Accra on Thursday, which was jointly executed by the government of Ghana and the Poly Technologies Incorporated of China at a total cost of three million dollars.

The complex which started in 1974 had to go through series of stoppages due mainly to financial constraints before the Chinese Company intervened early this year with funding to complete the project.

Apart from the swimming pool which was the major component of the project, other facilities such as netball, volleyball, basketball, tennis ball, Handball, and badminton ball courts have also been completed for use. Mr Mahama said the complex was to keep the military personnel in shape for them to professionally handle their schedules, adding "We do not want a situation when the military will be growing 'pot-bellies' in the barracks." He called on the military authorities to allow their civilian counterparts to make use of the facility to cement the military-civilian relationship.

The Vice President said Government in collaboration with the Poly Technologies Incorporated of China would also sign an agreement to complete all abandoned military and Police projects throughout the country. Mr Zhao Shiren, Charge' d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana traced China's relations with Ghana since 50 years ago and said President John Evns Atta Mills visit to China had further cemented their bilateral and friendship which was bound to yield fruitful dividends in the coming years. He said the building of the Sports Complex was just the tip of the iceberg, promising to churn out more developmental projects for the benefit of Ghanaians.

Mr Zhang Liansheng, Chairman of Poly Technologies Incorporated said he hoped the Complex would forever remain as a landmark for the fostering of unity between the two countries. 16 Dec. 10