Minister for Sports and Recreation has defended the Ghana Sports Fund Bill in Parliament as a law that will address long-standing funding challenges and support all sporting disciplines, not just football.
According to him, the proposed Ghana Sports Fund Bill will finally resolve decades-long challenges associated with financing the country’s sporting disciplines.
Addressing the House on Thursday during the laying of papers, the Minister said the Bill represents a historic step toward establishing a reliable, broad-based funding mechanism capable of supporting all sports, not only football.
He admitted that public perception of the ministry had been shaped by limited resources, which often forced government to prioritise football over other sports.
“We have had instances where the ministry I represent has been described as a football ministry because funding is mostly secured to support just football. When indeed when we talk about sports it goes beyond football,” he said.
He noted that several attempts to create a comprehensive sports financing structure in the past failed to bring the desired results, leaving many sporting disciplines underfunded and underdeveloped.
Mr. Kofi Adams explained that Cabinet had approved the Bill to provide a lasting solution to these challenges.
“Cabinet in its wisdom gave approval for this bill to be submitted to Parliament… so that for the first time the country will have a sports development fund,” he said.
He stressed that the proposed fund will draw revenue from multiple sources, ensuring sustainable support for grassroots development, national teams, and lesser-known sporting disciplines.
“A fund that would draw from many sources… that when approved, we will not have the challenges of funding our sports and sports will grow to bring about development,” he added.
The Minister expressed confidence that the Ghana Sports Fund Bill will strengthen sports development nationwide and help unlock opportunities for young athletes and assured the House that the ministry remains committed to promoting fairness and inclusivity in the distribution of sports resources.
