Cape Coast, Jan 12, GNA - Players and officials of the Benin and Mali national teams are to be based at the Elmina Beach Resort for the CAN 2008 tournament, with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) booking 50 rooms for each of the teams.

The Central Regional Sports Development Officer, Mr Ogbamey Amui, who made this known to the GNA Sports at Cape Coast on Friday, said the Benin national team will, however, be use the Robert Mensah sports stadium at Cape Coast as their training ground, while the Malian team would use the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Park.

Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali and Benin are in Group B and will be based at the newly constructed 20,000 setter at Essipong near Sekondi. Mr Amui said the Malian team which is expected in the country next week, has affirmed its readiness to use the UCC Park while the Benin team is yet to confirm the use of the Robert Mensah stadium. He, however, expressed concern that the LOC was yet to provide any financial or logistical support for the needed publicity of the tournament in the Municipality, such as the erection of bill boards or banners, posters and other publicity materials.

The Sports Development Officer it was however not too late to support the local organisers to help whip up enthusiasm and awareness about the tournament, adding that souvenirs like T-shirts, handbags, miniature flags and other tournament paraphernalia, being sold in the township are currently receiving low patronage because of inadequate awareness. Mr Eric Amar, the Branch Manager of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), one of the designated points for the sale of the tickets, told the GNA that the Bank was allocated 260 tickets in GH=A214 and GH=A24 and that as at Thursday, 143 have been sold out including all the 70 tickets for the opening match.

He said that the Bank had to use its own resources to advertise on the local FM stations to facilitate the sale of the tickets, while at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), one of the designated points, the Branch Manager, Mr Mark Agbecornu, said the Bank was yet to receive the tickets for sale to the public.

When the GNA interacted with some of the supporting public whether they were aware about the tournament, many of them expressed their unhappiness of the inability of the government to construct a new stadium at Cape Coast, which they noted was abandoned with many of them saying they had lost interest with that regard.

Meanwhile, a day's workshop on the hospitality industry has been held for food vendors and other operators in Cape Coast. The workshop was organized by the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) in collaboration with Cook Art Ghana to train the vendors and hospitality operators about the importance of hygiene, customer relations and nutrition.

The Regional Manger of the GTB, Mr. Paul Owusu Nkansah said it was the duty of the Board, to frequently conduct such an educational programme, adding that similar workshops have already been held at Winneba and Mankessim.

Mr. Nkansah commended Cook Art Ghana for being part of the exercise, which is being held nationwide and aimed at boosting the image of Ghana in the tourism industry.