Legon Stadium to be ready in December -- Minister
THE Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has said expansion works at the Legon Sports Stadium will be completed and handed over to the state in December this year for use at next year's African Games.
He stated that when the refurbishment was completed, the facility would have a big seating area for spectators and a spacious parking space for 2000 vehicles.
The minister revealed that it would cost the taxpayer $200 million to construct all sporting facilities needed for the 2023 African Games.
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“We expect 5000 athletes to arrive for the games and one of the facilities, the Legon Stadium, will be ready in December this year," he noted.
Mr Ussif made the disclosure Sunday when he took his turn at the Meet the Press series at the Ministry of Information in Accra yesterday.
C'wealth Games
He announced also that 120 Ghanaian athletes would participate in this year’s Commonwealth Games, representing an increase of 42 athletes over the previous athletic contingent of 78 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
“We are working vigorously to renovate all sporting centres across the country to enhance Ghana’s sporting activities,” he stated.
He said his ministry had handed over 90 artificial football pitches to various communities to explore, harness and tap sporting talents.
Touching on renovation works at the various national stadiums, Mr Ussif acknowledged that the Accra Stadium was at the third phase of rehabilitation work, which was 98 per cent complete, while the first phase of the Baba Yara Stadium renovation was also 98 per cent complete.
Also, phase one of the Cape Coast Stadium was at 60 per cent completion and the first phase of the Essipon Sports Stadium was also 90 per cent complete.
The minister gave an assurance that works were being expedited to ensure that the various facilities were ready for maximum use.
Present at the briefing were the President of the Ghana Olympics Committee, Ben Nunoo Mensah, the Executive Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the African Games, Dr Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, and the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association, Prosper Harrison-Addo.