Both residents and visitors of Ada in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region, were thrilled by a fascinating boat racing competition on March 6, 2010. Education Minister, Alex Tettey-Enyo, who witnessed the race described the maiden edition of the competition as God-sent. According to him the competition will greatly boost the development of Water Sport and Tourism in Ada and Ghana in general. He believes the sport will contribute positively to the economic and social upliftment of the country. The event was organized by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) as part of Ghana’s 53rd Independence Anniversary celebration. According to the Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Ada, government will involve other relevant ministries such as Youth and Sports and Tourism to develop Boat Racing as a regular event. That, he this would contribute greatly to the development of non-traditional Sports in Ghana. Hundreds of people drawn from Greater Accra and the Volta Region attended the function, with participants drawn from the two regions. It also brought together top officials from the National Sports Council, Ministry of Tourism and President of the International Dragon Boats Federation, Mike Haslam. District Chief Executive for Ada, Rex Dan Wussah told the hundreds of spectators that boat racing is not new in the area, even though its popularity has been falling lately. ”It’s a traditional culture passed down by our great grand fathers and sustained over time”, he said.