Cape Coast, May 13, GNA - There was spontaneous applause and jubilation from Cape Coasters when President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday cut the sod for the commencement of work on the long-awaited Cape Coast Stadium at Akotokyir near the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The 15,000 capacity oval shaped designed stadium to be built on about 10 hectares is being funded by the Government of Ghana at the cost of 25 million dollars and work on it is expected to begin in August and completed within 18 months.

It would be fully roofed and have facilities including athletic tracks, dressing rooms and electronic scoreboards. Polish contractors, 'Pol-Mot Holdings' are undertaking the job together with their counterparts in Ghana, 'Motherwell International Limited'.

As soon as President Kufuor lowered the excavator to cut the sod, the large crowd that had gathered to witness the ceremony, went into frenzy, and broke into joyous applause and cheers to the admiration of the foreign contractors and other august visitors.

President Kufuor said it was his hope that as more sporting facilities were provided, the country would unearth more talents to be able to compete on the world stage in many sporting disciplines. He noted that the ancient city of Cape Coast needed a sport stadium because, it was a special place in the scheme of the affairs of the country, particularly in the area of education and added that it was therefore imperative, to give it a befitting state-of-the-art stadium to also attract tourists to the area.

President Kufuor said it was worthwhile to acquire world-class stadiums and other sporting facilities because they brought dividends to a country far beyond the initial investment.

He thanked the chiefs and people of Cape Coast for their patience while waiting for the Government to redeem its pledge to build the stadium and expressed the hope that the facility would go a long way to unite the citizens and also to provide jobs for them. The Omanhene of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, expressed gratitude to President Kufuor and said the setting up of the Medical School at the UCC, and the upgrading of the Municipality into a Metropolitan status, among other things, attested to the fact that the Region has been given its fair share of the national cake. The Regional Minister Nana Ato Arthur appealed for the dredging of the Fosu Lagoon.

President Kufuor later inaugurated a memorial depicting the history of the Fante people at Mankessim.