Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Dickson Kyere Duah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum West constituency in the Bono Region, has commended colleague MPs for supporting the Ghana Sports Fund with individual financial contributions.
The Ministry of Sports and Recreation, led by the sector minister, Mr Kofi Adams set up the Fund and inaugurated an 11-member Governing Board this year, an initiative designed to sustainably finance sports development, infrastructure, and elite athlete preparation.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) sport at Jinijni, the constituency capital, Mr Duah also a member of the governing board of the fund said, “parliament has been able to mobilize more than GHC200,000 into the fund through individual contributions of the MPs”.
He condemned the politicization of sports, saying with its huge economic prospects, politicizing sports development would not augur well for the nation’s progressive development.
Mr Duah stressed that the sports fund remained a strategic vehicle to facilitate the holistic development of sports in the country with the vision to produce the required manpower base and advancing sports infrastructure development at all levels.
He emphasised that open administration and accountability remained the hallmark of the fund, worrying that sports funding in the country had remained challenging over some decades.
Mr Duah, also a veteran sports journalist commended President John Dramani Mahama and Mr Adams for their dedication towards improving sports development in the country, saying with the sports fund, the nation could proactively tackle emerging challenges inimical to the growth and development of sports.
Touching on the FIFA 2026 World Cup, the MP said it was untrue that the government was unwilling to sponsor supporters to Canada, Mexico and the United States, the host nations.
He said the prospects of the national team, Ghana Black Stars in the tournament remained brighter, saying that: “The good news is that our key players play in England”, urging the nation to maintain confidence in, and support the national team.
“In fact, as for me I am not afraid at all because I have confidence in our players”, he stated, and urged Ghanaians to unite and rally solidly behind the Black Stars, “as the national team makes us proud on the international stage”.
Chaired by Professor Koryoe Anim-Wright, the other members of the governing board of the sport fund comprise Dr David Kofi Wuaku (Administrator), Wilhelmina Asamoah (Chief Director), Duah Alhassan Oteng (Technical Advisor), Deborah Adei Djanie (Director, Human Resource Management and Development), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah (Director-General), Ernest Thompson, boxing legend Azumah Nelson, Miss Belinda Plange, and Mrs Rachel Florence Appoh.
