New Beginnings: Middle Belt Development Authority Builds Artificial Pitch for STU

Mr. Paul Tibil, the Bono Regional Director of the Middle Belt Development Authority on Tuesday performed a ground-breaking ceremony for work to begin on the construction of a standard Astro-turf football pitch at the Sunyani Technical University (STU).

The Authority is funding the artificial pitch, expected to be completed and handed-over for use within five month, as the university authorities worked out modalities to introduce sporting management academic programmes.

Mr. Tibil stressed the Authority’s commitment to champion the cause and tackled the nation’s development gaps in sports, health, education, water and sanitation, and the road sectors.

He said the Authority was doing that by conducting needs assessments in  the various deprived communities, and added however that their commitment to improve sports infrastructure in Technical Universities too.

Besides helping to unearth and nurture the football talents of the university students, Mr. Tibil said sporting activities greatly helped to build the thinking faculties of the students as well.

Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, the Vice Chancellor of the STU, described the project as timely, saying the university would soon introduce programmes in sports management and administration.

He said the university required improved sports infrastructure, particularly infrastructure for lesser sports, including standard volley and basketball courts, gym, as well as table tennis and badminton courts and athlete facility and equipment.

That would enable the university to acquire accreditation and thereby commence the sport management programmes.

Prof Adinkrah-Appiah expressed gratitude to the Bono Regional Sports Authority, and Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the Member of Parliament for Sunyani East for their instrumental role and thanked the government and the MBDA for the project.

He said he was hopeful that the contractors would execute quality work and complete the project on time and handed-over for use for use.

Mr Foster Kwame Opoku Boakye the Bono Regional Director of the National Sports Authority said sports infrastructure development had improved in the region, saying that about 15 artificial football pitches were under construction and at various stages of completion.

He said Bono Region had huge sporting talents, and called for improved infrastructure development to help nurture and harness those talents to spur economic growth and development.

Mr Boakye said the government alone could not shoulder the responsibility of building sports facilities and called for private sector support and to also promote lesser sporting activities in the region.