The Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF) has announced ambitious plans to construct a velodrome in Ghana, aiming to bring world-class track cycling to the country.
Shaaban Mohammed, the General Secretary of the Federation, shared details of the project, explaining that the goal is to build a facility that meets international standards.
“We want to have a velodrome in Ghana which can host world-standard events. That is the basic aim,” Mr. Mohammed stated.
The Federation is currently looking at two possible paths for the project. One idea is to see if a velodrome can be included in the design of a new, larger sports complex. “We are pushing to see if it’s possible to have the velodrome at a new facility, so that we can have handball, netball, and other sports within the same area,” he explained.
The second option is to build on a new, empty piece of land. For this, the Federation is thinking big. “We are also looking at a virgin place where the land is there,” Mr. Mohammed said. “We want to establish a velodrome that can hold not less than 5,000 people, and we are looking at building more than just one facility. But for now, we want to start with one and make sure it is of a very high standard.”
In addition to the main velodrome, there are also plans for a smaller, simpler track for young riders. Mr. Mohammed mentioned this is part of a broader Olympic and African Olympic project. “We want to have a velodrome for kids to be able to ride on. It doesn’t have to be a very high standard, but it will allow children in the area to practice.”
The Federation has already held discussions with the Ghana Olympic Committee about the youth project, but the main focus remains on securing a world-class venue.
Mr. Mohammed confirmed that the next step is to understand the financial side of the project. “The bottom line for us now is we need to know how much it will cost. Once we have that information, we can see how best to push for the funding and take it from there.”
Currently, ten countries in Africa have a velodrome. If the proposed project goes ahead, Ghana will become the eleventh country on the continent to build one.