Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr. Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation has appealed to the government of Türkiye to widen scholarship opportunities for Ghanaians pursuing sports-related programmes in the country.
He made this call during a working visit to Türkiye, following a meeting with the leadership of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), and theTurkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency in Ankara.
The Turkish Scholarship programme, since 2011, has benefited over 45,000 students globally, with 628 applications from Ghana in 2025.
The Sports Minister, in his address said Ghana is committed to training more sports professionals to support the growth and development of the country’s sports ecosystem.
He emphasized that under President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership, the government is prioritising the revival of school sports, adding that training opportunities in Türkiye would be key in advancing this vision.
Mr. Iddie Adams urged that areas such as sports science, management, and recreation studies should be incorporated into the range of scholarship opportunities offered to Ghanaian students.
The Minister again highlighted key priority areas for deeper collaboration, such as sports management, sports medicine, the development of community parks and sports academies, as well as capacity-building programmes.
The Member of Parliament for the Buem Constituency expressed gratitude to YTB and the agency for their contribution to Ghana’s human resource development, noting that Ghana, Türkiye relations, which date back to 1958, have continued to strengthen through purposeful partnerships.
Mr. Abdulhadi Turus, President of YTB, said the secretariat is ready to expand scholarship slots to cover more sports-related programmes, paving way for Ghanaian students to access advanced training in Türkiye.
He highlighted that scholarship placements can be aligned with the development priorities of partner countries, complemented by Turkish language training and postgraduate opportunities.
Mr. Abdullah Eren, President of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to extend its support to youth and sports-related programmes, acknowledging the important role sports plays as a catalyst for development.
He welcomed the proposals of the Sports Minister and encouraged his office to submit a formal list of areas for immediate technical and financial cooperation.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to deepen educational and cultural cooperation, while aligning future scholarship programmes with Ghana’s national development priorities.
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