Sports Ministry to Build Institutes

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has concluded plans to construct Leadership Training Institutes at Old Fadama in Accra and Ahensan Estates in Kumasi.

Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, the sector minister said on Thursday that the projects would be funded from his ministry's share of $933,000, which the Finance Ministry allocated to them from a Chinese Government Grant.

He said work on the projects would commence early next year and when completed, the facilities would provide befitting resource centers for the youth to acquire skills, which would enable them to contribute their quota in a "positive manner to national development".

The minister said the Chinese Government was so impressed by the drawings of the institutes that they agreed to fund the two of them even though they had planned to build one for the time being.

He said it is the vision of his ministry to build a multi purpose youth centre at all regional capitals in due course and assured the youth that their needs have been identified and are receiving adequate attention despite the lean budgetary allocation to the sector.

"We have a vision driven commitment and dedication which will push us to fight for a bigger budgetary allocation and we shall not be partial in the distribution of these facilities."

Mr Osei Kwaku said he has begun negotiations to persuade government to launch a Youth Fund with seed money of between 20 to 30 billion cedis to make money available to prosecute many projects, which he has planned to better the lot of the youth.

Mr Edward Kofi Adoma, Acting National Coordinator of the National Youth Council (NYC) said each facility would include a stadium which would accommodate a soccer pitch, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, a swimming pool, a meeting hall and a counseling room.

He said there would also be a lecture theatre, an auditorium a cafeteria and an information technology centre.