Sports Bill would be passed before next parliament - Minister assures

The government has assured, once again, that after years of waiting, the much anticipated Sports Bill would be passed before the current parliament ends it term.

Currently, the bill is being considered by cabinet. Sports Minister Dr. Mustapha Ahmed told Joy FM’s Ghana Connect on Friday, he is hopeful the bill would be approved by the next cabinet session.

“Once it gets the approval, we will quickly take it to parliament, and hopefully we wish to pass it before next parliament,” he confidently said.

For the current parliament to pass the bill, it will need some level of political will. The first time the bill entered parliament, it was left to gather dust and every opportunity to get it enacted elapsed.

“Usually when things go to parliament there is a clause that if you don’t meet that deadline then it comes back,” Dr. Mustapha Ahmed explained.

Dr. Mustapha Ahmed
The bill seeks to replace SMC Decree 54 of 1976 regarding the various aspects of sports management, promotion and development in Ghana and seeks to make it current with international best practices.

In January last year, the then Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Joseph Yammin strongly indicated that the Sports Bill would be passed by Parliament before the end of the second quarter of 2014 . But this never happened.

Former Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, sharing his thought on Ghana Connect, agreed the passage of the bill has unduly delayed.

“The Sports Bill is taking too long, it is about time we passed the bill and get things going,” he emphasised.

Following what many describe as a disappointing treatment meted out to the gold-winning Black Queens, Joy FM’s Ghana Connect today assembled sports journalists, administrators, fans and state officials to pore over a typical case of not caring about anything sports if it is not the Black Stars.

Just this week, the senior national female football team exhibited gladiatorial tenacity as they stood their grounds in the face of great adversity to demand their due for winning gold at the All Africa games. In the end, they were paid but only after President John Mahama intervened. So is the Black Queens story a reflection of our collective neglect for the sports?

Herbert Mensah, former football administrator and President of the Ghana Rugby Football Union, diagnosed the challenge as a “societal problem starting from the top”.

Herbert Mensah
Those at the helm of affairs are not committed to improving lesser sports in the country. He recounted challenges he faces as president of GRFU in getting support from the National Sports Authority.

“Even things they could do for free they will not do,” he said. He however challenged administrators to think outside the box and source for sponsorship from private firms.

On the way forward, he said appointees who are put in charge of various sports disciplines but failed to show commitment and care must be shown the exit, and suggested bonuses for officials could be cut to support the sport itself.

For Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, people’s rush and hasty demand for a minister’s dismissal when things go wrong is not necessary. A holistic assessment is what is needed to solve the problem and forestall future occurrence, he suggested.

“Sack the minister, sack the minister, and he is sacked and yet the problem is not solved,” he pointed out.

He called on sports officials to leverage on the popularity of the Black Stars and insert a clause when going for sponsorship where a percentage of the funds would be allocated to promoting lesser known sports.

Sports Minister Mustapha Ahmed was worried the sources of funding have primarily been the government but that one too has not been sufficient to support all the sports federations.

He complained that attempts to be “prudent” by increasing funds to other fields other football have been problematic.

He called for supports from private sectors and also appealed to journalists to help create awareness and make sports appealing to corporate Ghana.

Saani Daara, Communications Director at the GFA thought that the media have been “too negative” on sports administrators, which he said is not good for business.

He singled out former Minister of Sports Mahama Ayariga for his efforts at getting sponsorship from sources other than the government.

Sports journalist Veronica Commey was convinced the passage of the Sports Bill will cure the challenges facing the sports sector. She was therefore worried it has taken government too long to get it enacted.

She advocated for people to change their mindset towards other sports including female football. He didn’t understand why people will still support the Black Stars in spite of the number of times they broke hearts, but same support is not extended to the Black Queens.

“We need structure, commitment and decision to get things to work,” she asserted.

Sports fan Asantewaa pointed out that even though the so-called lesser known sports have their own following, the package needs to be more attractive to get support from more sports enthusiasts.

Connecting via the telephone from South Africa, Thomas Kwenaite of Super Sports was emphatic the nation ought to recognise the Black Queens for the honour brought to Ghana.

He said sports administrators should lead in transforming and promoting sports rather than always blaming the government.