Sports Writers issue communique

Accra, Oct. 12, GNA - The Sport Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) and their counterparts from Burkina Faso have resolved to work towards the revival of the African Sports Journalists Union (ASJU). They also called for the re-organisation of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) into an effective tool to move sports in Africa. The two bodies issued a seven- point communiqu=E9 at the end of their confab in Accra signed by SWAG President, Mr Ebo Quansah and Mr Gabriel Barrios, representative of the Burkina Faso sports journalists. After deliberations between members of the two associations, they agreed to impress upon football federations throughout Africa to consider the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as an African challenge in terms of both organisation and achieving of results.

The members also agreed to work as a collective body to bring together sports journalists from Ghana and Burkina Faso in order for them to share ideas for their mutual benefit.

The communiqu=E9 stressed the need for Sports journalists from the two countries to impress upon their respective governments for the need to institute annual friendship games between Ghana and Burkina Faso. They resolved to help improve sports journalism in the continent through the organisation of workshops, seminars and other short courses. The communique also resolved to co-operate in the organisation of awards ceremonies to honour sportsmen and sportswomen in the two countries with a view to making it a sub-regional affair.

The confab hosted by SWAG and a seven-member delegation of sports journalists from Burkina Faso was to discuss ways of improving ties between the two bodies and to seek ways to improving the standard of sports journalism in the sub-region, among other important issues. Ghana's preparation for the 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament featured prominently in the day's deliberations, with an address by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, on the investment by government into the construction of four stadia and other financial commitment towards a successful tournament.

The members later in the day paid visits to the re-construction site of the Ohene Djan sports stadium in Accra and the CAN Ghana 2008 LOC Secretariat.