Accra, Aug. 1, GNA- The Minister of Youth and Sport Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has commended the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) for supporting Ghana’s Olympic Games campaign in Rio, Brazil.
At a send-off cocktail for the team in Accra over the weekend, the GNPC announced a sponsorship package, which will cater for the flight tickets of the contingent.
Nii Lantey Vanderpuye said with a few days left for the quadrennial competition, he was contemplating and nervous about whether Ghana’s participation in the Games will be a reality, “but GNPC has done something beyond my imagination’’.
According to him, he was excited the GNPC came to support the confident athletes, who are determined to will win medals for the country. ‘‘I’m excited they came to our aid. The Olympics is the beginning of good things to come and I want you athletes to believe in yourselves and the country will rally behind you’’.
The Minister commended the GNPC for supporting the other disciplines and assured that the team will make a great impact at the games.
He urged other corporate entities to emulate the gesture of the GNPC since government cannot support and nurture talents alone, and that, corporate institutions need to assist.
The Chief Executive Officer of GNPC, Mr. Alex Mould said the gesture forms part of his outfit’s Corporate Social Responsibility to support the least financed disciplines in the country.
He said ‘‘The Olympics is the world’s biggest spectacle and we are proud to play our part to ensure that Ghana participates.
‘‘We would support swimming, boxing, hockey and other sports to develop. Although most people associates us with football, we are already expanding our scope across sports and working with key stakeholders to identify where we can make the most impact through infrastructure, partnerships and initiatives’’.
The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Prof. Francis Dodoo, thanked the GNPC for the gesture and assured that the athletes will make Ghana proud.
Ghana presented 16 athletes and will compete in five disciplines of weightlifting, athletics, judo, boxing and swimming.