Sunyani East Member of Parliament, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, has cut sod for the construction of an artificial football pitch with ancillary facilities at Penkwase sakora park, a suburb of Sunyani in the Bono Region.

The 5.5 million Ghana cedis project, being financed by the Bui Power Authority, is expected to be completed by Wembley Sports Construction Company Limited (WSCCL) by the end of December 2023.

According to the MP, the initiator of the project, it forms part of his aim of providing sports infrastructure development to help develop football talents in the municipality. 

Penkwase Sakora Park has produced many football talents like Saddick Adams, Afriyie Acquah and many other players from Sunyani. 

But young footballers, even in 2023, continue to play on the grass-less gravel-filled pitch.

Dan Owusu, a legend of Bofoakwa Tano and the Black Stars, described the situation as bad.

He said young players cannot be training on such a pitch in this modern era and be expected to become good footballers.

“The sakora park is dangerous. You can have a lot of injuries on the pitch”, he lamented.

To uplift the status of the pitch, the Sunyani East MP, who is also the Board Chairman of Bui Power Authority, brokered the deal with the Authority and facilitated by the Sunyani Municipal Assembly for the construction of the ultra-modern astroturf.

Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh said there was a need to get infrastructure for football because of the love for the game in his constituency.

At the sod cutting for work to commence, witnessed by the chiefs and people of Sunyani, Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh, said the project will help bring back the love of football in the community as it is been advocated for by the Ghana Football Association. 

He said the community will wholeheartedly welcome the project because “People have been waiting, expecting, and have been hoping for this kind of infrastructure in the community”. 

“I am happy that I can help, and this is a contribution of bringing back the love for football”, he noted.

He appealed to the chiefs and all other stakeholders, including the community members and the media, to do whatever they can do to support the timely completion of the project.

Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh also urged residents who may be employed on the project to be committed to their work.

The FIFA approved 11 aside football pitch, 68 by 105 meters project will have a 500-seater with a VIP seating area, changing room, floodlights, and mesh fencing when completed.

 “Wembley is known for quality”, Simon Lamptey assured the chiefs and people of the community, adding that “We don’t have any plans of slowing down anytime soon”.

The Bono Regional Sports Development Officer, Foster Boakye, commended the Sunyani East MP for his effort to develop talents.

The chief of Penkwase, Nana Kofi Boadum, expressed his gratitude to the MP for the project.

He, however, appealed to him to help get a befitting venue to host premier league matches of Bofokwa Tano in Sunyani.

The Sunyani Coronation Park requires an upgrade to me the club licensing board regulations for premier league matches.