Other Sports of Friday, 28 October 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

Parliament passes Sports Bill

Nii Lantey Vanderpuije is the sports minister Nii Lantey Vanderpuije is the sports minister

Ghana's Parliament has passed the Sports Bill into law after years of waiting.

This will help establish the National Sports Commission to provide for the development, promotion and management of amateur and professional sports and also to enable the country operate its sports in conformity with international law practices.

President John Mahama now has to assent to the law for it to come into force.

That notwithstanding, Issac Asiamah, the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee for Sports pointed out that the passing of the bill into law will not necessarily address the most critical sporting issues.

"It is not about passing the bill but what the bill seeks to address. For me this bill will not address the problems and challenges facing sports. The major challenges is how to get funding for sports and how to ensure that we invest more in sports and the bill will not do that, which is a worry for me,” he stated.

The passing of the Sports Bill replaces the SMC Decree 54 of 1976 regarding the various aspects of Sports management, promotion and development in Ghana and seeks to make it current for international practices.