The $145 million Borteyman Sports Complex has recently been used to host church services, just three months after it hosted the 2023 African Games.
This multi-purpose facility, completed in time for the games held in Ghana earlier this year, was seen in a viral video on the social media site X (formerly Twitter) where people were conducting a church service inside one of the domes of the complex.
This video has sparked outrage on social media and raised concerns about the maintenance and intended use of the facility.
The church service was conducted by the leadership of Christ Embassy-Legon Central, who did not have permission to organize the event.
The leadership of the University of Ghana Students Representative Council (SRC) and the church had written to the National Sports Authority (NSA), seeking permission to take some students on a field trip to the facility, which has become a tourist attraction since the games.
However, NSA officials were shocked to discover that a church service was held inside the facility without their knowledge.
Non-Christian students, who were part of the so-called ‘SRC Fun Trip,’ were also reportedly upset by the decision to turn the trip into a church event.
This incident has intensified calls for better oversight and management of the Borteyman Sports Complex to ensure that it remains a premier sports facility and is used for its intended purposes.
The National Sports Authority is expected to take measures to prevent such occurrences in the future and ensure the proper maintenance and utilization of the complex.
The incident, which took place on June 1, 2024, prompted an apology letter from the SRC.
The state-of-the-art Borteyman Sports Complex includes a 1,000-seater swimming pool, a multipurpose sports hall capable of seating 1,000 spectators for events such as basketball, badminton, netball, table tennis, and weightlifting.
Additionally, the facility boasts a 500-seater temporary dome for handball, volleyball, judo, karate, taekwondo, arm-wrestling, and a five-court tennis complex.
