Fred Pappoe urges athletes to avoid Black Stars comparisons amid travel complaints

Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Fred Pappoe, has called for restraint in the ongoing debate over support for Ghanaian athletes, insisting that concerns should not be framed by comparing athletics to the Black Stars.

His comments follow growing discussions about alleged disparities in attention, logistics and welfare between track and field athletes and the senior national football team.

Sprinters Abdul-Rasheed Saminu and Benjamin Azamati recently raised concerns about their exhausting travel arrangements to Botswana, which they say disrupted their preparation and affected their performance readiness.

Speaking on Sporty FM, Pappoe explained that responsibility for travel arrangements lies with the respective sporting federations, not the Sports Ministry, particularly when it comes to football logistics.

“The Sports Ministry does not purchase tickets for the Black Stars. The FA does that, and the Ministry reimburses after, sometimes taking months or years. In this case, the federation responsible for the athletes is the one they have to look at without drawing comparisons,” he said.

Meanwhile, Team Ghana has already secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, though the achievement has been accompanied by renewed criticism over planning, preparation and investment in athletics.

Attention now shifts to the African Senior Athletics Championships, which Ghana will host at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium from May 12 to 17, 2026.