The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur has announced that plans are far advanced for the construction of a state of-the-art sports stadium in Cape Coast. He said contract for the construction of the stadium would be signed on Wednesday 5 March in Accra for work to begin soon. Nana Arthur said this when he opened the 18th annual Regional Inter-Schools and Colleges Athletics championship at the Regional Schools and Colleges Park at Adisadel, Cape Coast on Wednesday. He said the new stadium would help improve the promotion and development of sports in the Region and therefore appealed to all to cooperate with the Regional Coordinating Council to ensure that the dream becomes a reality About 60 second cycle schools would competing in long jump, high jump, triple jump, javelin, hurdles, pole vault, and tract events in 5000m, 3000m, 400m 4 × 100m, 1,500m and 4×400. Nana Arthur said it was government’s determination to promote sports in the country and this was demonstrated with the construction of the two new stadiums at Essipon near Sekondi and Tamale as well as the refurbishment of the Baba Yara and Ohene Djan Sports Stadiums in Kumasi and Accra to host the Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament early this year. The Minister advised athletes and other sportsmen and women to abstain from the use of performance enhancing drugs stressing that its future consequences on their life could be disastrous, adding that “success in sports is obtained by regular training, determination and discipline and nothing is worthwhile or significant without discipline”. Nana Arthur urged the athletes to display the kind of zeal and forbearance exhibited by the national soccer team, the Black Stars during the just ended CAN 2008 tournament at the championship. He commended the athletes for their achievements in the region and their show of strength at national competitions, adding that the region was either the first or with the first and that they should hold high the flag of the region. The Regional Minister said “When we talk of our achievements in school athletics and soccer activities in the region, names that add up to our glory include three members of the current national soccer team, Michael Essien and Manuel Junior Agogo, both products of St Augustine’s College and Harrison Afful, Winneba Secondary schools as well as Anthony Annan a product of Ghana National College with other athletes including Aziz Zakari, Andam Ibrahim Hassan and Cyril Ferguson all national athletes from the Central Region”. He said exploits of all those sports men started like ordinary students but by dint of hard work they have found themselves at where they are now and therefore encouraged the student athletes and other sports men and women to continue to give of their best in everything they do, adding “for whatever sacrifice you make today you stand to benefit tomorrow.” Mr Albert Ayimful, Chairman of the Central Regional Schools and Colleges Sports Association in a welcoming address urged the athletes to comport themselves during the competition. He expressed concern about some unhealthy incidents in previous competitions saying he hopes this year’s would be conducted in the true spirit of sportsmanship. Mr Ayimful also called on the officials to be committed and fair in their officiating to enable only the best to emerge victorious Source: GNA