The Local Organizing Committee of the 2022 National Cross Country was duly inaugurated at the offices of the Birim Central Municipal Assembly on Wednesday, 15th September, 2021.
The Eastern Regional Director of the National Sports Authority Mrs. Gifty Horsu Fianu, in her opening address outlined the purpose of the inauguration and appealed to all stakeholders to lend their support to the event. She further stated that the event will be managed by two committees, namely the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the Regional Organizing Committee (ROC). She said the LOC will be tasked to ensure a successful event at the Municipal level, whiles the ROC will concentrate on selecting a formidable regional team.
In a brief welcome address, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Birim Central Municipal Assembly, Madam Victoria Adu expressed her appreciation to the National Sports Authority for selecting the Municipality as the host venue for the upcoming event.
In his address, the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Seth Acheampong was also elated to have Eastern Region selected as the host region of the event. However, he was short of words to contribute more on the event due to the fire outbreak at the Oda central market, which has destroyed goods and property running into several millions of Ghana Cedis. In his final remarks, he made an emphatic statement that the Eastern Region will host and win the competition.
In his keynote address, the Deputy Director General (Technical) of the National Sports Authority, Mr. Kwame Amporfi Junior, who represented the Director General, Prof. Peter Twumasi, said that it is the vision of the Authority to ensure that H.E. The President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo’s vision to develop and promote sports both at the grassroots and national levels are achieved. He further highlighted on the successes achieved in the previous editions of the event, which begun in 2019. He said it was the Authority’s hope that the 2022 edition of the competition will be an improvement on the past events. Mr. Amporfi further stated that the National Cross Country is one of several sporting events to be organized by the Authority in preparations towards team Ghana’s participation in the upcoming 2023 African Games to be hosted in Ghana. He further stated that all sixteen regions made up of one hundred and ninety athletes are expected to participate in the event. He took the opportunity to assure stakeholders of the Authority’s commitment in ensuring a very successful National event.
The official swearing in of the Local Organizing Committee members was administered by the Deputy Director General (Technical), Mr. Kwame Amporfi Junior, with the support of Hon. Seth Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Minister. Dignitaries present at the ceremony include the Member of Parliament of the Birm Central Constituency, Hon. Alexander Acquah, MCE’s of Birim South, Ofoase-Ayirebi, NSA staff and a host of others from the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council.
– NSA Public Relations desk report – 15/09/21