President Nana Akufo-Addo has indicated that an amount of 46 million cedis has been allocated to the Sports Ministry for the development of sports in the country.

The President, who flew from Liberia to Accra for the SWAG awards on Saturday night, said the amount is a hundred percent increment from the 2016 budget. President Akufo-Addo also indicated that government is formulating a policy that will cushion sports men and women who retire.

“My government is beginning to show its appreciation of the role of sports to the development of our nation by the increase of over 100 percent in the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Sports in this year’s Asempa budget.We have gone from 21 million in last year’s budget to 46 million in this year’s budget. It is the beginning of good things to come,” the President said.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta during the presentation of the 2017 budget, revealed government’s intention to allocate the said amount to the Ministry.

The budget had also mentioned that there would some feasibility work done in relation to the rehabilitation of the national stadia in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Essipong.

In the 2016 budget, the renovation of these stadia was mentioned but no work was done on these edifices.

In terms of national teams, the 2017 budget indicated that the Black Queens, Black Princesses, Maidens, the Black Starlets and the Black Stars will all be involved in national assignments.