He added that to realise this, the government was putting up various sporting infrastructure to augment existing infrastructure and ensure they were properly maintained for sporting endeavour.

Big turnout

The deputy minister made the remarks when he launched the 10th Millennium Marathon, an internationally recognised half-marathon race expected to attract an estimated 10,000 runners.

“Marathons such as the Millennium Marathon brings people from all over the world together; it fosters unity, engenders uptick in tourism that generates revenue for the country,” he noted.

He lauded the organisers of the marathon for maintaining high standards in their organisation and highlighting Ghana on the international stage.

The Race Director, Mrs Cathy Morton, revealed that this year’s 21km race would be held on September 7 along some major principal streets in Accra.

“We are expecting over 10,000 participants across the continent and outside the continent including over five thousand juvenile adolescents in the age categories to grace this tenth anniversary,” she noted.

She disclosed that the winner of the marathon in both male and female division would each receive an amount of GH¢75,000, while the second and third placed winners in the male and female categories would each receive GH¢50,000 and GH¢35000 respectively.

“We are going to reward winners of the fourth to 25th position and anyone who wants to participate will have to register with a registration fee of GH¢100 online or in our offices in Accra,” she stated.

She expressed her gratitude to successive governments and the Police Service for throwing their weight behind the marathon and appealed to them to do more.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Athletics, Filipina Frimpong, noted that the Millennium Marathon has become the standard of how well a marathon should be organised in the country.

She lauded the organisers of the event for their stewardship over the past decade and pledged her outfit’s commitment towards the event.