Ticket numbers must now correspond with seat numbers

Accra, Sept 16, GNA - The Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (EYS) has endorsed a recommendations that identification numbers be marked on all seats at the Accra and Kumasi Sports Stadiums and that the numbers be printed on admission tickets.

A statement signed by Mr Kofi Aggrey, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry said the recommendations were contained in a report by an inspection team that toured the two stadiums recently.

The statement said the team also called for the fixing of chairs at all the stands to make the stadiums an all seater facilities. The inspection team said to forestall any reduction in revenue caused by the reduction in the capacity of the stadiums, the fees charged should be reviewed upwards to compensate for the possible loss in income.

It said the inspection team comprised of staff of the internal audit and the accounts units of the EYS and the National Sports Council (NSC).

The statement said the team gave the current capacity of the Accra Sports Stadium as 32, 747 whiles that of Kumasi is 50, 863.

Soccer Field

Ho, Sept 18, GNA - Mr Benedictus K. Dzokoto, National Co-ordinator of Physical Education (PE) on Tuesday called on the government to evolve a policy whereby sports fields will be provided for in the establishment of new basic schools.

This, he said, would facilitate training and generate interest of pupils and students in PE programmes.

Mr Dzokoto, who was speaking to the GNA Sports after the 23rd Inter-Regional Schools and Colleges Sports Festival held in Ho, urged government to re-focus its attention to the rehabilitation of existing sporting fields in addition to all stadiums to boost the development and improvement of sports.

"Almost all educational institutions lacked appropriate sporting facilities including fields, courts, athletics ovals and equipment; accounting for the abysmal performance in sports currently."

Mr Dzokoto said that some school heads hiding behind school reforms have compounded the issue by deleting PE periods from their school timetables on the basis of it not being an examination subject. "This is contrary to GES policy of at least twice - 40 minute per week compulsory PE lessons," he said.

Couple with these inadequacies are insufficient PE teachers, he said adding that only 30 percent of second cycle schools in the country have qualified PE teachers.

Mr Dzokoto, therefore, entreated school authorities to comply with the GES policy to include PE on their timetables, since the service would be stringent on supervision when schools re-opened. He suggested that each District Assembly be tasked to construct mini-stadiums to serve as a relying point for district sports programmes.