National Sports Festival would be marked every year – Dr. Bawumia assures

The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says the government will ensure that the revived National Sports Festival is celebrated every year.

Aside from helping to unearth talents for the country, it also foster friendship and promote unity among persons from different backgrounds, he stated. The Vice President was speaking at the opening ceremony of the National Sports Festival on Saturday in the Ashanti Region.

The national event, which has produced sports greats such as Azumah Nelson, Ohene Karikari, Alice Anum, Opoku Nti, Prof Francis Dodoo, Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan amongst others, has not been held for the past six years.

The official theme for this year’s event is Unity and job creation. “The Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo believes in the potential that sports holds in creating many jobs, as exemplified by the vibrant economic activities taking place around this Festival.

“In addition, we believe that if we want the most veritable tool to unite the nation, we should look no further than regular sports competitions among the citizens across the country,” Dr. Bawumia said. According to him, the eventual impact of the festival on society would be people learning to peacefully co-exist and resolving their differences more amicably rather than through violent means.

“It is for these reasons that the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will support the organisation of the National Sports Festival on a regular basis. “We are all one people, and in the name of sports, we should all resist any form of discrimination on grounds of religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation or any form of prejudice.”

He, therefore, urged the sports men and women to consider every athlete or team as first Ghanaian.