The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Kofi Humado has reassured the Ghana Beach Soccer Association (GBSA) that his ministry is still committed to putting up beach soccer arenas for the development of the sport in Ghana.
The MP for Anlo confirmed that plans were far advanced in securing land at Keta in the Volta Region for an arena which, according to him, will be used to cater for both water and sand sports.
“With the little support and logistics at the GBSA’s disposal, they were able to organize a very successful league. So it is in order that all stakeholders rally to support the continuous growth of beach soccer in Ghana.”
Hon. Humado first made the pledge at the coronation of the league champions in Ghana’s first ever double tier beach soccer leagues.
In partnership with Cal Bank, Clementia Contacto and Voltic Mineral Water, the GBSA successfully staged the two leagues made up of a total of twenty teams. The Championship was won by Keta-based Sunset BSC whilst Teshie United emerged winners of the Division One League.
In recognition of Sunset’s title run which was achieved with an unbeaten record and the fact that Keta provided three strong teams in the league, the minister promised to support the construction of two arenas – one in Keta and the other in Accra which incidentally also has three formidable beach soccer clubs.
The MP who has been an active supporter of beach soccer in the country, made the assurances to the President of the GBSA Yaw Ampofo Ankrah during a brief presentation ceremony at the MYS building in Accra.
Ampofo Ankrah thanked the Minister for his support and also updated him on the new partnership between the GBSA and their supervisory arm the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
In a related development, Coach Francis Oti Akenteng who is a special technical advisor to the GBSA has confirmed that all is set for the first ever FIFA beach soccer technical training course in Ghana next week. This forms part of the broader objective to select a future national team to represent Ghana at international tournaments.
The course which is the initiative of the GFA would tutor beach soccer coaches, referees and officials at the La Beach Soccer Arena in Accra and the Ghana-man Centre of Excellence in Prampram from the 29th of July to the 2nd of August 2012.
The FIFA course would then be followed by a gala to select three teams to fill the vacant slots in the Division One Beach Soccer League.
Meanwhile Keta Sunset and Teshie United will face each other in a Champion of Champions match ahead of the new season which kicks off in September 2012.
The GBSA has been boosted by the continuation of sponsorship by Cal Bank and Voltic Mineral Water with strong indications that either Airtel or rLG would become the new title sponsor of the Division One Beach Soccer League.
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