The Administrator of the Ghana Sports Fund, Dr. David Kofi Wuaku, has challenged sports journalists to move beyond conventional sports reporting and play a more active role in communicating the sector's contribution to national development. He made the call at a stakeholder consultation on the Ghana Sports Fund regulations in Accra on Friday, November 13. Dr. Wuaku emphasized the need for a change in the country's sports narrative to embrace a new approach to sports development.
Dr. Wuaku noted that sports had often been viewed primarily through the activities of teams and individual athletes, which failed to capture the sector's broader economic value. He argued that sports could open up economies and create future professions, making it necessary for the media to expand its coverage beyond competitions and sporting performances. The administrator also expressed concern about the limited visibility of sports in the national budget statement presented a day before the consultation.
The Ghana Sports Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1159), provides a framework for sports development and sport for development, including recreation. Dr. Wuaku said the narrative of this Act was really for sport development and sport for development. He urged journalists to help communicate the objectives of the Act and ensure that the sector receives greater attention in national development conversations.
Dr. Wuaku drew attention to his recent visit to Senegal, where he witnessed deliberate efforts to engage younger generations in sports development. He cited the country's hosting of the Youth Olympic Games and the estimated three million dollars in revenue generated over three weeks as an example of the economic opportunities sports could offer. He said Ghana needed to learn from such experiences and begin to appreciate sports as an industry with implications beyond entertainment and competition.
The administrator urged media practitioners to make meaningful contributions to the regulatory consultation process, stressing that their role extended beyond reporting the proceedings. He said the media could help communicate the transition Ghana wanted to make from its previous approach to sports management towards a more sustainable and economically beneficial sports ecosystem.
The consultation brought together sports federations, institutional representatives, legal practitioners, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ghana Sports Fund Board and management, and media practitioners. Dr. Wuaku said the collective contribution of all stakeholders would be critical to building a sports system capable of delivering lasting benefits to the country.
Dr. Wuaku's call for change in sports reporting is part of a broader effort to reposition sports as a key sector for national development. He emphasized that the media had an important responsibility to help reshape public understanding of sports, particularly by highlighting its economic potential and the opportunities it could create for younger generations.
Key points
- Dr. Wuaku urges journalists to highlight the economic potential of sports and its contribution to national development.
- The Ghana Sports Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1159), provides a framework for sports development and sport for development, including recreation.
- Dr. Wuaku cites Senegal's hosting of the Youth Olympic Games as an example of the economic opportunities sports could offer.
