The Youth and Sports Minister has presented the trophy for the coming Sunday’s President’s Cup to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Isaac Asiamah in the company of executives of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) and National Sports Authority (NSA) visited the Vice President at the Flagstaff House Wednesday, to invite him for the event.
The Minister remarked the project, started in 2003, was done not only to “unify the nation” towards a common cause but to honour the sitting President.
The President’s Cup was instituted by former President John Agyekum Kuffour and the maiden edition held at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The 2017 event has been scheduled to take place at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi Sunday.
The match will be between traditional giants Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak.
The Vice President thanked the Minister and executives of GHALCA and NSA for starting the project in the first place.
‘It speaks to your dedication and discipline to keep it going all these years [and] for making it a firm part of the calendar,” he said.
Dr Bawumia told the gathering the President’s Cup should not be seen as an event held for the President as an individual.
“The President is an embodiment of the whole nation and when you honour him it is not for him,” he said.
The Vice President said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has the development of all the sporting disciplines in the country at heart because of his love for sports.
“What we know is that the President is an avid sports person – he follows sports and I know soccer is very close to his heart [and] this particular cup means a lot to him,” Dr Bawumia said.
The personalities who accompanied the Sports Minister include, Director General of the National Sports Authority, Robert Safo Mensah and MD of UBA bank, Abiola Bawuah. UBA is the lead sponsor of the President’s Cup.