Lack of infrastructure our bane - Coach Sarpong
Veteran coach, Josef Emmanuel Sarpong, has observed that the failure of the state to invest in world-class sports infrastructure over the years has undermined its quest to win laurels at international tournaments.
“We needed to pump money into the provision of facilities that will attract the youth to develop their talents for the benefit of the country, but we have failed to do that so far, ”Coach Sarpong lamented during an exclusive interview with Daily Graphic.
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Expressing concern about the situation, Coach Sarpong said countries that were not developed in sports at the time Ghana attained independence and performed so well in sports had now become pacesetters due to their prudent infrastructural development.
“We need to pump money into sports development to realise our dream of winning laurels for Ghana,” he stated.
Turning to football development, he questioned whether the Winneba Sports College was still in existence and wondered if the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) were collaborating to make effective use of the facility for the benefit of the nation.
Coach Sarpong also questioned if the sector ministry and its affiliate bodies had designed any effective sports development programmes for schools.
“Some of the youth with potentials in sports should be taken through the rudiments in the schools and academies for them to mature and by so doing, they will not be rushed abroad half-baked,” he explained.
“There should be a planned programme to develop the youth with skills in sports. It can be the source of inspiration and motivation, especially if the government collaborates with the FA to build a state-of-the-art football academy where continuous development of talents can make them what the state expects from them.
“However, we have failed as a nation to do this, so we are now suffering from such a failed responsibility,” he noted.
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