Youth and Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah has reiterated government’s desire to ensure massive support for School Sports as the foundation for the identification and development of sporting talents.

He explained that, a well-resourced sports academies and colleges of sports will offer an appropriate avenue for the development of all sporting disciplines especially the least-financed ones.

Receiving the President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), Mr Charles Osei Asibey at his office in Accra, the new Sports Minister said the legal framework for the establishment of colleges of sports and other sporting academies will soon be submitted to cabinet for onward submission to Parliament.

The Minister decried the challenges bedevilling both the youth front and the sports sector but was hopeful new measures being contemplated by the new administration will turn things round.

“Sports is no more a recreation. It is a serious business and for us in this government our thinking and concentration has been on how to use sports to create employment and use it to curb crime, particularly among the youth”, the Minister added.

He revealed that consultations are ongoing to consider an appropriate means of insuring the future of the country’s sportsmen and women.

He reiterated his desire to operate an open-door policy to ensure that all relevant stakeholders in the development of the youth and sports have a say in the way forward.

He commended the Ghana Armwrestling Federation for their strategy to popularize the sport across the country and develop talents among several of the country’s youth and pledged government's support for “such laudable efforts”.

Mr Charles Osei Asibey congratulated Mr Asiamah as the new Minister for the sector and pledged the support of the Armwrestling Federation for his success.

He announced that for the first time, the Federation is raising a team to represent Ghana at the 2017 Africa Armwrestling Championship in Lagos in June.

Mr Osei Asibey was accompanied by the Deputy General Secretary of GAF in-charge of Communications, Mr Emmanuel J.K Arthur.