Accra, Jan. 5, GNA – Professor Peter Twumasi, the Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), says they will not turn down any proposals to name a national sporting facility after Brazilian football legend Pelé.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, after the demise of Pelé, said they would ask every affiliated country to name a stadium in honour of the late legend Pelé, with Cape Verde being the first country to do so.
Speaking in an interview with GNA Sports, Prof. Twumasi said that it is doable to get a national sporting facility named after the football legend and that they are open to all forms of negotiations with appropriate stakeholders to make this a reality.
« The call by Infantino for nations to name a stadium in recognition of the football king, Pelé, is something many nations always do to honour their hero. For me, it is a good motivation for young players who aspire to reach the pinnacle of football and also serves as a magnet to unite people around the world.
« There are procedures to be followed in the renaming of the stadium and as we did with the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, and we are willing to engage appropriate stakeholders to make this happen, especially given the vast number of unnamed new sporting facilities in the country, » he said.
Professor Twumasi further stated that there have even been procedures started for naming our sporting facilities after some national heroes who contributed to the development of various sporting disciplines.
« There are talks ongoing about naming some facilities after some heroes and institutions that have contributed to the development of sports. There are numerous proposals with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to make this happen, and hopefully, it can be done in the near future, » he said.
The Ghana Football Association, when contacted, said they are yet to receive any official request from FIFA to name a stadium after Pelé.
Simon Asare
