The National Sports Authority (NSA) and the ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) have fumigated the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Thursday 16th April 2020 as part of measures to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Football has barely been played there as the Stadium was closed and rehabilitated only to be used for Ghana’s 63rd Independence day celebration.
Football clubs who use the stadium have been forced to use other venues since the closure in February this year for renovation works.
Speaking to Oman FM after the exercise, the acting regional Sports Director Edmund Appiah explained the rationale behind the fumigation exercise.
“Everybody in Ghana is aware of the COVID-19 and this stadium is a public place, which people always use for sporting activities and even everybody knows Baba Yara sports Stadium hosted the 63rd independent anniversary for which lot of people from across the world attended,” he said.
“For us to be sure the facility hasn’t not been infected oe even if it had been infected I think there is a need for us to disinfect entire stadium so that people who will come to rent the stadium will not be in any form of risk.”
He also explained that funding for the excercise was fully from the coffers of the ministry, refuting claims that the NSA has spent over 20,000 for the exercise.
“Ministry of Youth and Sports/ National Sports Authority (NSA) use their resourcese for the fumigating the stadium,” he said.
“Its not true we will spend 20,000 Ghana cedis .NSA can’t take decision a only we sort for quotations with the MOYS before we came out with final budget for the fumigation. So the cost is 7,000.”
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium was recently used to host Ghana 63rd Independence Anniversary Celebrations on Friday, 6 March 2020.”
The venue witnessed high influx of people from varied backgrounds and locations during the onset/outbreak period of the COVID-19 in Ghana.
Renovation works at the stadium is set to be completed in October this year despite the coronavirus pandemic.
By Clement Osei Aboagye
