Ghana, once a force to reckon with in global sports, is currently a pale shadow of itself. From the heights of African football dominance to consistent appearances at World Cups amid impressive performances, Ghana now struggles to compete with relative minnows in the sport and has suffered embarrassing exits from recent international competitions.
Our proud track record in athletics, boxing and hockey lies in ruins. Chronic underinvestment, poor administration, corruption, outmoded infrastructure and abandonment of grassroots talent development have contributed to the current situation.
The NDC intends to implement far-reaching policies to restore Ghana to the ranks of elite sporting nations in Africa and beyond.
The next NDC government shall thus focus on systematic longterm investments in sports under a comprehensive National Sports Policy to guide the development of:
• Sports Infrastructure
• Sporting talents and Human Resource
• Sports Governance and Administration Ethics
• Life-long participation and inclusivity
• Sports for economic and social development
• A framework for implementing the African Union’s Sports Agenda 2063 and the SDG Sports-Related Goals.
We will:
1. Support the development of Colts, Division One and Two and the Ghana Premier League by augmenting the salaries of all registered footballers with allowances.
2. Undertake emergency refurbishment of pitches, tracks and other facilities at our national stadia in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Cape Coast and Sekondi to meet FIFA standards.
3. Pursue our long-standing policy of establishing international standard stadia in all regions.
4. Build more multi-purpose sports facilities to promote regional sporting events and inter-school competitions as part of our talent development policy.
5. Ensure equitable investments in other national teams, such as women’s football teams, parasports teams, juvenile teams and lesser-known sports.
6. Upgrade the UEW Sports College into a modern sports university offering training programmes in sports, related medicine, science and sports management/ administration at campuses around Ghana.
7. Establish Sports Centres of Excellence in the northern, middle and southern zones in collaboration with existing universities and the private sector.
8. Support national athletes more consistently to compete internationally and develop postcompetition careers and pension schemes to cater for national athletes.
9. Offer scholarships to promising sports talents and invest in the establishment of sports academies in partnership with the private sector.
10. Support retired sports personalities in pursuing other sports-related careers after an active sporting life.
