Accra, Mar 29, GNA - Prince Oduro Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Council (NSC) has said that the Council would soon embark on an identification mission aimed at searching for specific disciplines that possess enormous strength in the country.

The former Member of Parliament says the time is opportune for the nation to select and master in the exact disciplines capable of winning laurels during local and international competitions.

He told the GNA Sports that "it is high time the nation takes a second look at some sporting disciplines to be given special attention for their development and promotion" in their quest to maximise honours. Prince Oduro-Mensah mentioned weightlifting as among some of the disciplines already identified to receive the desired attention for future contests.

"The performance exhibited by the team at the just ended Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia gives credence to the fact that the nation can make a major breakthrough in other sporting events with the right approach and support".

Prince Oduro-Mensah underscored the need to match the huge promotional support offered to sports with its development so as to tilt the scale towards the desired destination of achieving results. "It is not enough to promote sports without thinking of developing it with the required infrastructure that would deliver the results". He told the GNA Sports that "until a critical look is taking at infrastructure development, our desire for greater laurels would always be elusive".

"The two must go hand in hand if we really want to see positive progress made in sports". He underlined the two as among his initial priorities and said the NSC would exploit all possible avenues of generating funds to execute that plan.

He said the Council will first find a way of getting the government to increasing budgets due them whilst exploiting opportunities in the private sector to raise more money.