President of Ghana Akufo-Addo has commissioned the GHc1, 5 million Quaye Mensah Astroturf memorial park at Alajo, a suburb at the Ayawaso Central in in the Greater Accra Region.
Construction under the auspices of the Coastal Development Authority under its poverty eradication program, the Astroturf which began on 4th December, 2020 would serve the sports and physical needs of the Alajo community.
Before 2017, there were only two (2) Astroturfs in the country — In Tema and at Prampram. But since then, Ghana can boost of 68 Astroturfs had bee constructed across the country, 30 fully completed and are in use and 38 at various stages of constructions under President Akufo-Addo’s administration.
Construction of ten (10) 5,000 seater Youth and sports centre of excellence in 10 regions across the country are also in going.
Speaking at the official opening Sports Minister Hon. Ussif said: ” The Alajo community has today joined the privilege list of communities with astro turf in the country. And without doubt this facility will go a long way to provide sports within the community and also offer a perfect platform for other recreational activities,”
Greater Accra Regional Minister Hon. Quartey also spoke: “The Sports Minister is here and can testify that the national team most of the players come from Zongo communities. So we want to play football here so that we can also get Partey from here. And get other professionals from here. I went to beg the President and Vice President that my community needs an astro turf. I was successful and the long and short of the matter is that today the astro turf has come to existence,”
President Akufo Addo lauded all those involved in completing the project. “The facility lobbied by Hon. Henry Quartey was constructed by the infrastructure for eradication of poverty program under the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) which is headed by youthful chief executive one of your own Jerry Ahmed Shaibu.
Ladies and Gentlemen as you all know football is a great passion for our people Ghanaians are not only obsessed about our domestic league and the fortunes of our national teams. Thanks to satellite tv they are also avid watchers of the great leagues of Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Ayawaso Central alone has unearthed several footballing geniuses in our nation such as Anas Seidu, Mohammed Klutse, Abedi Pele, Osei Kuffour, Yaw Preko, and Mohammed Kudus. We want to see more Mohammed Kudus, Abedi Peles been discovered that is why the development of sporting infrastructure around the country is crucial to this end,”
Alajo XI took on a select XI which included Stephen Appiah, Jerry Akaminko, Charles Taylor, John Paintsil, Prince Tagoe, Fatua Dauda, Godwin Attram, Dan Quaye, Haminu Dramani, Emmanuel Agyeman Badu, among others.
