Sports broadcaster Don Summer, host of First Half Sports on Angel 96.1 FM in Kumasi, has criticised the government and the National Sports Authority (NSA) over the repeated closure and renovation of Ghana’s major stadia.
His comments come amid growing concerns over the condition and availability of some of the country’s sports facilities, with several stadiums undergoing rehabilitation works while clubs and organisers are forced to search for alternative venues.
Don Summer questioned the long-term value of repeatedly renovating the same facilities without putting stronger maintenance systems in place to preserve them after the work is completed.
“It’s official that the Accra Sport stadium, Kumasi Sports Stadium and the Cape Coast Sports Stadium are closed. We have been renovating these stadiums repeatedly, but what is the real reason behind these renovations? Can’t we just do it once and for all?” he questioned.
According to him, Ghana needs to move away from the cycle of renovating stadiums only for them to deteriorate again, arguing that greater attention should be given to regular maintenance, particularly of playing Pitch and other key areas.
He also expressed concern that the continued deterioration of stadiums could eventually make them unattractive to organisations looking to hire the facilities for sporting and non-sporting programmes.
“If we are not careful, our stadiums will become so unattractive that nobody will want to rent them for programmes,” he warned.
Don Summer further challenged the NSA to explore ways of generating sustainable revenue from the facilities instead of depending heavily on government funding to cover stadium-related expenses.
“Why can’t the NSA try to generate revenue for itself instead of always waiting for the government to pay for expenses related to these stadiums?” he asked.
He also questioned whether lessons from international conferences and engagements attended by sports officials are being translated into practical improvements in Ghana’s sports infrastructure.
“You always travel abroad for conferences, but we don’t see the impact of those conferences,” he added.