Parliamentarians urged to 'fight' stress with sports

Chairman of Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports, Mr Stephen M. E. K. Ackah, has giving the assurance of the institutionalizing of regular sporting activities as a way of offering an opportunity to Parliamentarians and staff of Parliament to fight "silent killer diseases". Mr Ackah said some of the 'silent diseases' such as stroke, hypertension, jaundice and Hepatitis B were due to lack of regular exercises which accounted for deaths resulting from those diseases in the country. The Chairman of the Committee announced this when he officially launched the programme for a Parliamentary Fun Games slated for December 5, earmarked for Parliamentarians, the Parliamentary staff and Press Corps due to be organized at the El-Wak Sports Stadium, Accra. Mr Ackah said it is the hope that the Parliamentarians would use the games to unite and refute the perception that both Majority and Minority were perpetual enemies. This year's games would be sponsored by Traffic Media, Smart Energy drink, Kpogas Furniture and Aqua-in Mineral water. Mr Isaac Adupong, Chief Executive Officer of Traffic Media said the financial commitment towards the implementing of the programme was about ten thousand dollars (10,000.00), adding that the sponsorship may be extended for many more years. He called on the participants to make maximum use of the programme to fraternize with other members from different entities so as to establish peace and unity among the general public. Nana Kofi Ofori Atta, Marketing Manager of Aqua-in Mineral Water said their sponsorship was to afford the MPs the opportunity to carry out regular exercises since the enormous task of Parliamentarians did not allow them to engage in regular body exercises.