The government has promised to reward the national U-20 female football team, the Black Princesses, with a special package for qualifying for this year’s FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica.
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who made this known yesterday, did not disclose the details of the package but assured the team that the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Mustapha Ussif, would liaise with the Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare, to deliver the special package to each member of the team.
“The President wants me to tell you that in recognition of your feat in qualifying for Costa Rica which is in August, he has prepared a special package for you which you will get through the Minister of Youth and Sports who will work with the Chief of Staff to deliver this nice special package to each and every one of you,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia announced this when the Black Princesses, together with their management and technical team, met with him (Vice-President), the Chief of Staff and other senior government officials at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.
He assured the team of the total support of government and said the government would not only thank the team for their performance but would follow up with some package.
The Vice-President said the regular visits to the Jubilee House by sports men and women was enough testimony of the commitment of the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sports.
That, according to him, also showed that the government had been following events at the sports front.
The Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare, in a brief remark urged the team to “go and come back with the cup”.
She said investing in women’s football was a worthwhile investment and “we would continue to support you”.
Mrs Opare also commended the team for their qualification and advised them to be diligent as they prepare towards the tournament and come back with the trophy.
She also assured the team of a special visit to their camp to encourage and motivate them.
The Sports Minister, for his part, noted that the team’s qualification opened another chapter in the success story of sports in the country such as the winning of an Olympic medal in Japan last year and the recent qualification of the Black Stars to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.