Sports Minister wants Beach Soccer to go national

Newly appointed Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Ghana, Mr Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuije has reiterated his commitment to ensuring that Beach Soccer becomes a national sport.

According to the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodoo constituency in the Greater Accra Region, countries the world over are gradually diverting their attention from the traditional soccer [Football] and beach soccer offers a perfect opportunity for people in less-privileged communities along the coastal areas to bring out the footballing talents in them.

Speaking to the media at a two-day beach soccer event organized by the Youth Bridge Foundation in the Western Region, Mr. Nii Lantey Vanderpuije Pledged his support for the Ghana Beach Soccer Association in their quest to make the sports attractive in Ghana.

“I had a call from the Youth Bridge Foundation who indicated to me what they were doing in the coastal town of Baako in the Western Region and I thought it was a good project, a good initiative and I pledged my support” the Sports Minister said.

“I also had a chat with the chairman of the Beach Soccer Association, Mr. YAW Ampofo Ankrah who told me the impressions of the federation on this particular program. So I thought it was good as a minister to come as it all falls within my vission of encouraging the lesser known sports in the country.

“It also falls within the President’s directive that we must give attention to the lesser known sports” he added.

Mr. Nii Lantey Vanderpuije further expressed excitement that the game of beach soccer is gradually gaining grounds all over the world.

“Beach Soccer is makinh waves across the world” he said, adding that, “Recently we saw the performance of Nigeria at the world stage. We saw Cote D’Ivoire; we’ve seen Senegal, Madagascar.

“All this countries are moving away from the traditional Soccer and Beach Soccer Offers opportunity for less privilege communities along our coastal lines to be able to bring out the talent in them.

“What I have seen here has really excited and impressed me and as soon as I get to Accra, I will put my technical people together to look at how best we can support the beach soccer Association to encourage this activity and possibly have a National Beach Soccer League” he concluded.