The Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports,Hon. Joseph Yammin has stated that private sector participation in the organization and promotion of sporting events and the provision of sporting facilities is crucial for sports development in the country. To this end,he added,the Ministry, was working conscientiously to ensure that the necessary tax regimes are incorporated in the new sports law to appropriately reward sponsors and donors for their contribution towards sports development.

Hon Yammin disclosed this at the maiden Ghana Basketball Awards held at the premises of the TV Africa Studios in Accra.

 He said the Ministry was very much aware of the difficulties and challenges confronting the development and promotion of lesser-known sports in this country,adding that the obvious challenges included inadequate funding, inadequate infrastructure and lack of trainers to identify and nurture our young talents to stardom, calling on the private sector to assist Government.

“The Government of His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, as part of advancing the Better Ghana Agenda intends constructing Youth and Sports Centers/Arenas in all the districts of the country to ensure that the Youth get access to sports infrastructure to develop their talents in the lesser-known sports. Here again, these centers will have a multi-purpose court which makes provisions for basketball courts and the courts for other Hand games”, he said.

The Ghana Basketball Awards rewarded players who excelled in the year 2012 in tournaments and competitions held across the country.