Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has guaranteed a significant overhaul of existing sports facilities, coinciding with President John Dramani Mahama’s plan to construct seven new stadiums next year.
Both the Kumasi and Sekondi stadiums are being renovated; meanwhile, other facilities are in poor condition.
Safety concerns have also led to sections of the Accra Sports Stadium being cordoned off; it’s the only place approved for CAF and FIFA matches.
During a Channel One interview, Adams, the Buem Constituency MP, stated that upgrades, not just cosmetic fixes, are necessary.
“We’re not just going to renovate; we are going to refurbish the existing stadiums.”
“When I took over [as Minister] and looked through the documents, huge sums of money, millions of cedis, have been spent in the name of renovation, but we see nothing.
“We think we must refurbish the stadia that we have to a very acceptable standard, and we will work on them”.
Adams additionally revealed that, aside from fixing up current facilities, the government will focus on building stadiums in areas without sufficient sports infrastructure.
“We will also build in regions that do not have anything they can refer to as a stadium,” Adams added.