Ghana EXIM Bank has commissioned a newly constructed astro turf facility at Hogbe Park in Anloga in the Volta Region as part of activities marking the Bank’s 10th anniversary.
The facility, named the Awoamefia Togbui Sri III Astro Turf Park, forms part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives aimed at promoting youth development, sports and economic activities within local communities.
The park was named in honour of the Awoamefia of Anlo, Togbui Sri III, in recognition of his role in facilitating the project.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Deputy Chief Executive of Ghana EXIM Bank, Sylvester Adinam Mensah, said the project was a deliberate investment in Anloga, which had long lacked a modern facility for competitive football and organised sporting activities.
He explained that the old Hogbe Park had served the community for decades as a venue for football matches, social gatherings and activities associated with the Hogbetsotso Festival, but had become inadequate as sporting standards evolved.
“The old playing field, formerly known as Hogbe Park, holds decades of memory for the community, including games, events and gatherings, Hogbetsotso festival, had outgrown its usefulness as sporting standards evolved which necessitated the modern replacement,” he said.
According to Mr Mensah, the new facility will support year-round sporting activities, training programmes, tournaments and inter-community competitions while providing young people with an organised environment to develop their sporting talents.
He said the facility could also contribute to the local economy by creating opportunities for administrators, groundkeepers, security personnel and vendors, while attracting visiting teams and officials to Anloga.
“The Ghana Exim Bank’s mandate extended beyond financing physical structures to fostering productive economic activity, a well-managed sports facility could generate revenue, create employment for groundkeepers, administrators, security personnel and vendors, and attract visiting teams and officials whose spending would benefit the local economy.”
A management committee has been established to oversee the day-to-day operations of the facility, with Ghana EXIM Bank expected to continue monitoring its use and maintenance.
Togbui Sri III, on behalf of the chiefs, queen mothers and people of Anlo, thanked the Board, management and staff of Ghana EXIM Bank for selecting Anloga to benefit from the project.
He described the facility as a major transformation of the old Hogbe Park and said it would provide young people with an improved environment to develop their sporting talents.
The Anloga District Chief Executive, Sandra Seyram Kpedor, also described the project as an important investment in youth development, sports and community growth.
She expressed confidence that the facility would provide opportunities for young people to discover and develop their talents.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by traditional leaders, officials of Ghana EXIM Bank, representatives of the Anloga and Keta Municipal Assemblies and other invited guests.
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