Director-General for the National Sports Authority, Professor Peter Twumasi has assured record holders of the Ghana Premier League, Asante Kotoko to hold their nerve for a little while, as they wait to return to their favorite home venue, Kumasi Sports Stadium for the continuation of their matches.



The National Sports Authority closed the stadium for renovation works, which spanned for close to a year, this, therefore, meant that Kotoko had to find a new home venue for their domestic and continental league games hence their choice for the Accra Sports Stadium.

The choice for the capital stadium has not sunk well with Kotoko’s CEO, Nana Yaw Amponsah, who has made an emotional appeal to the government to speed up renovation works on the national edifice.

Meanwhile, NSA boss, Professor Peter Twumasi has weighed in on the discussion pleading with the Kumasi-based club’s hierarchy to wait a little longer as finishing touches are being applied to works at the venue.

“We are hoping by the end of March the job will be completed and handed over to the NSA”.

“The contract was a one-year contract and we are hoping by March ending the contractor should be done. We are pleading with Kotoko to be patient with us. The work will be completed soon”, he told Happy FM

Kotoko will take on Bechem United at the Accra Sports Stadium in week 16 of the ongoing Ghana Premier League with two outstanding games set to be honored on a later date.

The National Sports Authority has with immediate effect withdrawn the exorbitant charges conferred on Ghana Premier League clubs for the usage of the Accra Sports Stadium in the upcoming season.

This week,the NSA caused an uproar in football circles after announcing an amount between GHC 15,000 and GHC 20,000 for category C and B Matches respectively, which will be paid by the 5 clubs(Hearts, Kotoko, Inter Allies, Legon Cities, and Olympics) bound to use the national stadium for their home duels.

It’s no surprise that after numerous bodies, Ministry of Youth and Sports, GFA, football administrators, pundits, and other interest groups waded into discussions for the charges to be reviewed, the NSA has acted in good fate and done the needful.

“Pursuant to our letter dated 19th October 2020 with reference number NSA/HQ.5/SF13 on the above subject, management would like to inform you that the said charges of the usage of the Accra Sports Stadium has been withdrawn following consultation with the Sector Minister and also taking into consideration some concerns raised by the affected club,” a statement signed by NSA Director General Professor Peter Twumasi read on Wednesday.

The Ghana Premier League 2020-21 is scheduled to take effect on November 13, 2020, across the various league centres in the country.

The National Sports Authority this week released a list of 14 sporting disciplines under the “non-contact” sports category of disciplines cleared to return to action.

This development comes into reality after President Akufo-Addo’s address on Sunday evening announced an easing of restrictions that were imposed far back in March in a bid to mitigate the widespread of the deadly coronavirus which has decimated lives all around the world.

The NSA disclosed that the cleared disciplines were only scheduled to hold training regimes while on the lookout for actual dates for competitive sporting events.

The toast of Ghanaian fans, football, remains suspended as the top hierarchy of Ghana Football Association this week met with the President’s Committee on Covid-19 presenting proposals on how to make football safe again for players, technical staff, supporters and other stakeholders.

Swimming and boxing remain the biggest casualties amongst the sporting disciplines that were not cleared by the NSA.

Sporting Disciplines cleared to return:

Athletics

Badminton

Table Tennis

Tennis

Golf

Power Lifting

Weightlifting

Cycling

Draughts

Para Sports (Individual non-contact para sports)

Rowing and Canoeing

Horse Racing

Baseball and Softball

Squash

The National Sports Authority has approved Asante Kotoko’s request to use the Accra Sports Stadium for their home games.

Kotoko had to make the decision to play in Accra after the Sports Ministry and the NSA closed the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for renovations work.

Works have already started at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, which will host this year’s Independence celebrations.

“The closure is to enable the NSA and Ministry of Youth and Sports to have ample and uninterrupted time to fix critical places of the stadium before the celebration of Ghana’s 63rd Independence Anniversary Celebration,” a statement from the NSA read.

Few days later Asante Kotoko settled on Accra Sports Stadium, with General manager Nana Akwasi Gyambibi confirming the decision on radio.

“We chose Accra over other places due to the fact that we believed we have a lot of supporters in the Greater Accra region and in terms of traveling we felt Accra is the most convenient place,” he told Kumasi-based radio station Ashh FM.

“We are not bothered by the fact that Hearts of Oak plays at that same venue, we believe we can survive there.”