Work to begin on new racing course soon

Professor Patrick Addy, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports on Monday cut the sod for the commencement of work on a 4.5m dollar horseracing course at Nii Boiman, near Accra to replace the current Course parts of whose land was taken up by the construction of the Accra International Conference Centre.

He said the new site was initially earmarked for the National Stadium Complex during the PNDC era but massive encroachment on the land has necessitated it to be moved to the north of the Accra-Tema motorway.

He said the stadium complex project will still go on and warned that those who have encroached on the remaining piece of land will have their structures pulled down.

Prof. Addy urged the Accra Turf Club and the Course Board of Stewards to do all they could to resuscitate interest of horseracing in the country.

"I will also cherish the situation where interested entrepreneurs will set up their stables outside the main race course and bring them only for training and competitions because this would bring about specialisation and good breeding practices as pertains in other countries", he added.

Mr. Jerry Akwei Thompson, Ga District Chief Executive, said the construction of the course would enable horse racing to share in the limelight of other popular disciplines like soccer, boxing and athletics.

He said the new location would generate a lot of revenue for the Ga District and also serve as an employment generating venture.

Mr. Thompson said the Ga District Assembly would start demolishing unauthorised buildings on the land and the route leading to the site.

He urged the Accra Turf Club and the Course Board of Stewards to do all they could to resuscitate the interest in horseracing in the country.

Colonel George Brock, acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council said even though horse racing was re-started on the old site after the construction of the Conference Centre, the proposal for relocation has been uppermost in the minds of lovers of the sport.

Col. Brock, who is also Chairman of the Re-location Committee, said they would follow events closely to ensure the early completion of the first phase.

Mr. William Snowden, Chairman of the Accra Turf Club expressed the club's appreciation to President J.J. Rawlings for paying heed to their concerns, barely a year after discussing the issue.

Meanwhile Air Harbour Technologies, a construction firm, which is to build a hotel at the old site, has donated one million dollars for the re-location programme.