2015 All Africa Games: Sports Ministry cools sports associations' boycott threat

The Youth and Sports Ministry has quickly moved to calm heads in the various sporting associations after some publicly stated there were not going to participate at this year’s All Africa Games in Congo, Brazzaville.

Over 30 associations last week told government that if no funds were released by May 15, they would consider quitting the Games.

But after a meeting with the sector minister on Tuesday, all issues have been sorted and the teams have decided to go on with preparations.

“The Minister has promised that he is going to make sure all the challenges and outstanding issues we have mentioned to him will be sorted,” said Ben Nunoo Mensah, head of the Ghana Weightlifting Association.

“ In fact some of things we told him sounded strange because he couldn’t believe for a period over three years individuals were spending their private money to take care of the national teams of those disciplines.

“For us he is a new man who has just taken over and I think we will give him the benefit of the doubt and eventually we will all get prepared and go to the All Africa Games.”

Meanwhile, the minister, Dr Mustapha Ahmed in an exclusive chat with Joy Sports noted he intends to meet the sporting associations regularly to share ideas on how they can participate well in their respective future competitions.

“I have agreed with them (the sporting associations) that we will institutionalize regular meetings so that when we meet regularly and frequently and we discuss our common issues and challenges, the suspicion that arise when there is a communication gap between two parties will be minimized or disappear altogether,” said Dr Ahmed

“Having done that I have the impression that the threat of a boycott is no longer in existence and that we will work as a team, support and open with one another and will work transparently to promote the various sporting disciplines.”

Story by Ghana/Joy Sports/Benedict Owusu