Revamp Race Course & Breathe Life Into �Dead� Horse-Racing Sport � Adenta MP Tells Gov�t

The NDC Member of Parliament for Adenta, Hon. Kojo Adu Asare has made a passionate appeal to government to mobilize funds to revamp the nation�s Race Course and the sport which he described as �dead�. Mr. Asare noted that for many years now successive governments have turned a blind eye to the once burgeoning activity which generated income and gainful employment to lots of people. Horse racing is one area in sports which has suffered neglect from the Sports Ministry over the years especially, after it was announced that a five-star hotel, Kempinski Hotel, to be funded by the Africa Development Bank, was going to be constructed at the Accra Turf Club. A new location was supposed to have been acquired to replace it, but the project has been on-going for years now. After months of wrangling and protests, it was agreed that the race course be relocated to the Animal Boundary at the outskirts of the University of Ghana farms, off the Ashaley-Botwe road. Stands, stables, paddock, tote and other properties belonging to the Accra Turf Club and/or the horse owners, grooms, jockeys and trainers were all relocated and footages of the new racecourse, situated outside Adenta, show that work has advanced on the facility. Officials of the defunct turf club have been tight-lipped about what the real situation is. But certainly what would boost the morale of race-loving fans in the city is a clear picture from government and stakeholders what the policy for horse racing would be. Though it had its unique lovers, horse-racing appears to have long been obliterated from the catalogue of sporting events in the country. Speaking on Peace Fm�s flagship programme �Kokrokoo�, Hon. Adu Asare, in whose constituency the new race course will be sited, posited that though he is aware of plans to relocate the race course, the process must be expedited so as to make horse-racing an attractive venture as pertained in the past.