The National Sports Authority (NSA) has inaugurated a five-member Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Committee, chaired by African Paralympic Committee President Samson Deen, as it seeks to secure more sustainable funding and build stronger partnerships for Ghanaian sport.
The committee was inaugurated in Accra on Friday. Its mandate is to identify new ways of mobilising resources and improve cooperation between the NSA and organisations that could support the development of sport in Ghana.
Deen said the committee’s responsibilities must extend beyond the traditional practice of appealing for financial assistance. Instead, he called for a structured investment system capable of supporting athletes from the discovery of their talent through to elite competition.
“Resource mobilisation must not mean simply asking for money,” Deen said.
He said Ghana had the sporting ability to produce successful athletes but lacked the systems needed to identify, finance and develop that potential.
“Ghana does not lack sporting talent. What we must build is the system that finds the talent, finances the talent, develops the talent, projects the talent and takes that talent to the podium.”
Sports federations and athletes in Ghana have regularly experienced financial difficulties, particularly in the build-up to major international competitions. Deen said the country needed to replace last-minute appeals for support with a more deliberate and long-term approach.
“We must move from emergency funding to strategic investment,” he said.
The committee is expected to hold discussions with a wide range of stakeholders. Those groups will include government, corporate institutions, development partners, sports federations, the media and other organisations with an interest in Ghana’s sporting progress.
Deen also pointed to the proposed Constituency Games as a potential foundation for discovering talent at grassroots level. He said the initiative should be designed to do more than provide another competition for the sporting calendar.
“The Constituency Games must not become just another competition on the calendar. They must become a national talent-discovery movement.”
His vision would see athletes identified in communities and constituencies progress through regional and national competitions before entering an elite development pathway.
The committee chairman also stressed the importance of media coverage during the early stages of an athlete’s career. He said athletes needed greater visibility while they were developing, rather than receiving attention only after achieving major success.
“We do not want the media to arrive only when the medal has been won. We want you there when the journey begins.”
Deen said the committee’s performance should be assessed through its impact on athletes and sporting communities, rather than through the number of meetings held or documents produced.
“We should be judged not by the number of meetings we hold, but by the partnerships we build; not by the documents we produce, but by the resources we unlock.”
The five-member committee will now begin its work as the NSA explores additional funding opportunities and seeks to establish lasting partnerships to support the development of sport across Ghana.
