Low Publicity for 2013 Unity Games

The National Sports Authority NSA has

selected 11 sporting disciplines for the 2013 National Unity Games to be staged

in Kumasi. They are Athletics, Boxing, Basketball, Handball, Volleyball,

Karate-do, Taekwondo, Swimming, Badminton, Table Tennis and Disabled Sports,

with Weightlifting and Wrestling to be competed on non – scoring basis.

The 2013 Unity Games are scheduled

for August 11 to 18, 2013 and the Kumasi Sports Stadium will be the venue for

the actions to see new rising sports men and women and the experienced old ones

who want to leave legacies before they quit.

The number of disciplines was cut

from 20 as held in Accra in 2011 to 11 due to financial and logistic constraints

and those selected are the possible ones considered to be participated in the

coming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The cost of organizing the event in

GHC 2.5 Million and the Authority is counting on the government and corporate

bodies to contribute to make it possible for about 3,000 sportsmen and women to

showcase their talents.

According to Madam Alice Attipoe,

Acting Director General of the NSA, they expect GHC 1.5 million from the

government and GHC 1 million from companies whom they have written to for

support.

The Games which was launched in

Kumasi by the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Authority has not got the

media attention expected as most sports media practitioners are not aware of so

many things.

Although the Games is on the

calendar of the NSA, most sports men and women are not aware of the dates and

have not prepared adequately towards it, but they will compete because it has

come and they ought to take part.

Many sports people whom yours truly

spoke to said they are not happy with the way the lesser known sporting

disciplines are managed. Apart from Football and to some extent Boxing, most

sports disciplines are not being administered to the satisfaction of

participants, the media and the general sports public.