By: Isaac Tetteh
Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, embarked on a strategic high-level visit to the United Kingdom to explore long-term solutions for the sustainable operation and development of Ghana’s sports facilities.
The trip aims to identify innovative management models and maintenance strategies that can enhance the efficiency and viability of Ghana’s sports infrastructure, ultimately creating more opportunities for talent development and economic growth.
A central focus of the Minister’s UK engagement is the transformation of the Borteyman Sports Complex into a multi-purpose Sport-Event-Edu Hub. This initiative is designed to modernize Ghana’s flagship post-African Games facility, making it a versatile space that supports sports, education and community events.
During his visit, Adams held technical meetings and toured several London venues to learn from successful management and operational practices that could be adapted locally.
Among the key visits was a detailed tour of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a global benchmark for converting Olympic legacy infrastructure into thriving national assets. The Minister examined two prominent venues within the park, the London Aquatics Centre and the Copper Box Arena.
The Aquatics Centre, built for the 2012 Olympics, now hosts over 1.2 million visitors annually and combines elite sports programs with grassroots initiatives. The Copper Box Arena supports multiple sports and entertainment events, serving as a hub for community engagement and commercial activities, with revenue streams from rentals, sponsorships and digital marketing.
During his visits, Adams discussed various management strategies with venue operators, including booking platforms, sponsorship models, and social media promotion to boost usage and ticket sales. The Minister’s UK tour underscores Ghana’s vision to reposition its sports infrastructure as vital assets for economic and social development.
