The 19th edition of the May 9 Accra Stadium Disaster commemorative ceremony came off at the forecourt of the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The solemn event was attended by dignitaries and invited patrons (about 20 people) and followed strict social distancing protocols necessitated by the COVID-19(Corona virus) pandemic.
Present at the ceremony were the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Perry Okudzeto, Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Prof. Peter Twumasi, Board Chairman of the NSA, Mr Kwadwo Baah and General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Prosper Harrison Addo.
Mr Kennedy Boakye and Elvis Herman Hesse were the representatives of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak, respectively.
Mr Okudzeto laid the wreath on behalf of government, followed by the NSA Boss who laid on behalf of the people of Ghana while representatives from Hearts and Kotoko also did for their clubs.
The occasion was held in remembrance of the 127 victims of the 2001 stadium disaster during a match between Hearts and Kotoko.
In his keynote address, Mr Okudzeto said, the event was very painful especially to the families of the deceased and pray it never happen again.
Lessons drawn from the incident, he said, had led to some major changes in the state-managed sporting facilities to prevent a recurrence.
“The Accra Sports Stadium, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and the Essipun Sports Stadium which are currently undergoing major renovations can boast of an increased number of widened gates with other enhanced safety features as compared to what we had,” he stated.
He added “the additional two new stadia that were built in Cape Coast and Tamale also have similar enhanced safety features that meet international standard.”
Going forward, he said sports must be seen as a tool for peace and not war and ensure it is devoid of anti-social vices including hooliganism, cheating, drug abuse, violence , racial discrimination and vandalism.
Prof. Twumasi added that government was committed to remove all obstacles from the playing fields to ensure that such events do not occur.
This year’s celebration, he said, was unique following the COVID-19 pandemic as the entire country is currently fighting a common enemy.
“These are not normal times but we need to show respect to those who lost their lives,” he stated.
He said, they were hoping the pandemic would end so sporting activities in the country would resume and urged fans to adhere to the rules of the game.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
