Majeed Bawa – NSA boss
The National Sports Authority (NSA) has dismissed claims that the recently built Cape Coast Sports Stadium handed over to the government of Ghana was a death trap.
According to a statement from the communication wing of the Authority, the stadium passed a Structural Integrity Test before it was handed over to the Government of Ghana in 2016 and described as alarming reports suggesting the facility was a death trap.
The NSA’s reaction was in response to reports in some sections of the local media attributed to Dr Nii Moi Thompson, former head of the National Development Planning Commission about an alleged deteriorating state of the Cape Coast Stadium.
Mr Thompson was quoted to have said that the ‘Cape Coast Stadium is a disaster waiting to happen in the near future if precautionary measures are not adhered to and accused the Chinese contractors of shoddy and inflated cost of the construction.’
‘But it is important that we set the records straight,’ the NSA statement said.
It explained that ‘what was described as structural defects are actually structural separation, where a pre-cast concrete product is produced by casting concrete into reusable mold or form which is then cured in a controlled environment, lifted into a proper place and plastered.’
“It is the exposure of this separation that is seen as a structural defect. Some of the plastering works have been removed and not the structure itself that is defective.”
Also responding to the signage at the stadium in Chinese, it explained that the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) was discussing with the Chinese Embassy in Accra and the contractor to get it translated into English.
It said the NSA has commissioned the AESL to undertake another Structural Integrity Test on the facility and advice on it.
“In December 2017 and June 2018, a CAF inspection team visited the Cape Coast Stadium as one of the venues for the AWCON 2018 championship and found nothing wrong with the stadium’s readiness to host matches. We are therefore at a loss as to why people make such comments when Government is making efforts to attract Chinese investment into the country.”
The statement said it was unfortunate the claims came at a time when Ghana was preparing to host the AWCON 2018 championship and Cape Coast was one of the venues.
In a related development, Mr. Magnus Rex Danquah, a member of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON), has said, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is satisfied with the Cape Coast Stadium pitch.
“CAF has since the commencement of their inspections been satisfied with the Cape Coast Sports Stadium. They have never expressed any worry over the venue, so we would have no issues there.
“Cape Coast is ready to host the competition, even if we are to start today. We would be looking forward to the final inspection by CAF soon,” he told the GNA Sports.
He said the decision to set up Venue Organising Committee (VOC) for Cape Coast, with the Regional Minister as the chairman, was to ensure cohesion in planning for the event.
Touching on the Accra Sports Stadium, Mr Danquah, said, the venue was almost done for the competition, adding that, major areas of concern like the floodlights, were working well during the last inspection.
BY TIMES SPORTS REPORTER
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