By Isaac Tetteh
The newly elected President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Richard Akpokavie, has identified funding as the primary obstacle facing sports federations in the country.
Speaking on GTV Sports Plus’ ‘File Show’ about the state of sports development, Akpokavie emphasised that financial constraints are worsened by the country’s economic situation, which limits the amount of support the sports ministry can provide.
Akpokavie pointed out that, despite these challenges, no country funds its sports entirely through government allocations.
“The truth is, that there’s no country that supports sports entirely from the cost-related fund,” he stated. This highlights the need for Ghana to explore alternative revenue streams to sustain and develop its sporting programs.
To address the financial shortfalls, Akpokavie revealed plans to engage closely with key stakeholders, including the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ministry of Sports. He emphasised the importance of collaboration in establishing sustainable income sources, such as lottery and sports betting initiatives to support sporting programs.
He further explained that these mechanisms are not only feasible but also aligned with the current government’s interests. “We need to push for the implementation of lottery and betting as sources of income,” Akpokavie affirmed. Such initiatives could provide a significant boost to the funding of sports federations across the country.
Moving forward, Akpokavie’s focus is on creating sustainable financial models to bolster Ghana’s sports sector. By fostering partnerships and exploring new revenue avenues, he aims to ensure that sports development continues despite economic challenges and limited government funding.
