The Select Committee on Youth and Sports, chaired by Henry Ernest Norgbey, this morning held a meeting with officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to discuss measures to rebuild public confidence in the Black Stars and address the broader challenges facing Ghanaian football.
During the engagement, GFA President, Mr. Kurt Okraku, appealed to the Committee to support efforts to review the restrictions on sports sponsorship by alcoholic beverage companies. He explained that the Food and Drugs Authority’s (FDA) policy had deprived the Association of valuable sponsorship opportunities, while football leagues in other countries continued to benefit from similar partnerships.
Mr. Okraku disclosed that the GFA had lost a $5 million sponsorship deal with Guinness Ghana as a result of the restrictions. He therefore urged Parliament to reconsider the policy and assess its impact on funding for sports development.
He further identified poor playing surfaces, inadequate stadium infrastructure and gaps in technical support staff as some of the major challenges undermining the national teams’ ability to compete successfully and win trophies at major international tournaments.
To ease the financial burden of preparing the national team for international competitions, the GFA President also called on the government to abolish import duties on uniforms and other related items for the Black Stars.
In response, the Chairman of the Committee, Henry Ernest Norgbey, assured the GFA delegation of the Committee’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening and advancing sports development in the country.
