Inside a tense Annual General Assembly in Accra, the Ghana Olympic Committee delivered a warning that cut through the room. Without urgent funding, Ghana’s hopes of competing strongly on the international stage could fade before the athletes even arrive at the starting line.
GOC president Richard Akpokavie did not hide his frustration. Speaking passionately to delegates, he described poor funding and delayed releases as the greatest threat to sports development in Ghana.
“The time has come for us to speak candidly about this issue,” he said. “Budgetary allocations to sports remain inadequate, and even approved funds are often released late or not at all.”
The timing could hardly be worse. Ghana is preparing for both the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, two major competitions that require months of planning, training, and travel arrangements. Yet, according to the GOC, approved funds are still yet to arrive.
Last year, Parliament approved a GH₵12 million budget for the Commonwealth Games campaign. But with little more than two months remaining before the Games begin, the money has not been released.
“This year, we are expected to prepare athletes for both the Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympics, yet we are still awaiting funding,” Akpokavie said. “We respectfully appeal for the release of the limited funds approved for sports.”
The impact is already visible. Ghana will send only 40 athletes and officials to Glasgow, a sharp drop from the 100 athletes who represented the nation at Birmingham 2022. While the Commonwealth Games Federation’s decision to reduce the number of sports from 19 to 10 played a role, finances have clearly shaped the final numbers.
For athletes chasing dreams in boxing, athletics, judo, cycling, and para sports, the struggle goes beyond medals. Many train with limited facilities and little sponsorship, often relying on personal sacrifice to stay competitive.
Akpokavie believes the imbalance in sports funding must change. “Even if football receives $10 million or $5 million for World Cup campaigns, give the GOC $2 million or $1 million for the Commonwealth Games,” he stated.
His words reflected a wider frustration within Ghanaian sports. Football remains king, but dozens of Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines continue to produce talent with far less attention or investment.
“Young athletes from Gambaga to Keta also dream,” Akpokavie stressed, pointing to sports such as volleyball, badminton, canoeing, and hockey. His message was simple, opportunity should not belong only to footballers.
The financial concerns do not end there. The long-delayed OlympAfrica community sports project at Amasaman has become another source of pressure. Construction on the facility, designed to support grassroots talent development, has stalled for years.
Now the GOC faces the possibility of refunding the $100,000 released for the project in 2022 if work does not restart before the end of June. “The Olympafrica Secretariat has expressed concern over the delays,” Akpokavie revealed.
The stakes are growing ahead of Los Angeles 2028. The GOC’s ambition is not simply participation but medals. “We must never lose sight of the fact that the ultimate goal is to qualify as many athletes as possible for the 2028 Olympic Games and position them to win medals,” he said.
For now, Ghana’s Olympic future stands at a crossroads. The talent exists, the ambition remains alive, but without investment, those dreams may never fully leave the starting blocks.
