NTPowerHouse Reports

As a nation, however, our navel was cut with sports, especially football. From the moment of independence there have been many political and tribal rivalries, but sports remains the only unifying factor. We have united behind our sportsmen and women - be they footballer, boxers, field and track athletes, tennis players or hockey players. Ghana has been firmly placed on world map because of our performance in sports at international level. It is amazing to know that in an area like sports where we do not have a clear national vision, our sportsmen do so well. We have won the Under-Sixteen World Cup twice; we have won the African Cup of Nations for keeps, won gold at Olympic level, won world level boxing accolade at both amateur and professional level. Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oaks have together lifted The African Cup on several occasions. Ghana was the home of African football and yet it took us 49 years to get to the World Cup. When we got there however we announced our debut with a bang, stunning the world with a second round place. On Tuesday we faced the ultimate football maestros of Brazil and we went home as losers having done ourselves proud. Football has made us all proud as Ghanaians once again ...

Governments upon governments have been short-sighted on sports vision leaving GFA, GBA, Olympic and Commonwealth and All-African games planners to have a field day with our meagre resources. All too flimsily, we have been prepared to sacrifice sports because of political differences. In 1982, Rawlings made a personal decision after his coup d'état to take the Black Stars to Tripoli where we emerged as champions, after the PNP government had committed Ghana to boycott the game. Rawlings used his personal flamboyance to carry football in Ghana for the period of his leadership and not based on any well-tracked national policy. In fact it has been alleged by quarters of Accra Great Olympics supporters that his unbridled support of Accra Hearts of Oaks led to their demise ...

One of the major areas that the government is focusing on is education. The government is knee deep in the implementation of the FCUBE, free feeding in schools, introduction of Capitation Grant, free textbook allocation, technical and vocational curriculum development and a new direction in teacher training. In effect the new Education Act promises a root and branch review and renewal of education in Ghana. It is therefore unfair to tag sports along such a busy and important ministry. One may argue that the Minister for Education and Sports has deputies in charge of areas such as sports. But this is hardly an argument that holds much water as a deputy minister in charge of sports is never the same as a full minister holding a full budget.
This article is not intended to suggest a sports policy for Ghana, but clearly to suggest the need for a home where an integrated sports programme can be created and nurtured. A programme that will not be heavily biased towards football but harness the potentials in athletics, tennis, cricket, hockey and boxing in schools, district, regional and national levels. A programme that supports both individual and team sports. A programme that will create sporting facilities in every region of Ghana and secure lands and spaces for sporting purposes. A programme that will give reassurance to our sporting men and women that they will be supported and secured so long as they represent the nation and beyond. A programme that will attract investment and private sector participation with government backing and assurance. A programme that will not be based on individual goodwill and trust but based on well documented policy statements for which governments can win or lose elections.
The government should therefore be bold to detach sports from education and make it a full ministry.