The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Richard Akpokavie, has outlined an ambitious roadmap aimed at transforming Ghana sports through athlete-centered development, stronger governance, improved funding, and strategic partnerships.
Delivering his address at the 2026 Annual General Assembly of the GOC on Friday, May 16, Akpokavie reflected on his first year in office since the 2025 elections and emphasized the need for unity among sports federations to achieve long-term success.
According to him, the GOC’s strategic retreat held in Koforidua in May 2025 laid the foundation for the committee’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, officially launched in January 2026. He urged all federations to align their activities with the six key focus areas of the plan: putting athletes first, building capacity, empowering women, promoting inclusive leadership with integrity, securing funding, and building strategic partnerships.
Akpokavie stressed that the goals of the strategic document must translate into practical support for athletes and sports administrators across the country.
Touching on Team Ghana’s performances in 2025, the GOC President praised athletes and federations for their impressive showing at major continental competitions including the ANOCA School Games in Algeria, the ANOCA Youth Games in Angola, and the ANOCA Zone 3 Games in Burkina Faso. Ghana secured medals in badminton, boxing, athletics, taekwondo, volleyball, handball, karate, table tennis, and weightlifting across the competitions.
He also commended Cricket, Armwrestling, Athletics, and Scrabble for successfully hosting international competitions in Ghana while acknowledging recent challenges faced by athletics administration in the country.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Akpokavie revealed that Ghana is expected to send approximately 40 athletes and 21 officials to compete in athletics, boxing, cycling, judo, para athletics, para powerlifting, para swimming, and weightlifting.
He further disclosed plans for the “Ghana House” initiative during the Games, a platform intended to showcase Ghanaian tourism, business opportunities, and creative arts to the international community.
On preparations toward the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the GOC President reiterated the committee’s commitment to qualifying more Ghanaian athletes and positioning them for podium success on the global stage.
Akpokavie also addressed infrastructure and institutional development within the GOC. He confirmed that efforts are underway to resume the stalled Olympafrica Project at Amasaman, warning that Ghana risks refunding a $100,000 grant if construction delays persist. He added that the GOC has budgeted another $100,000 toward the construction of a multipurpose hall this year.
The GOC President revealed ongoing renovations at the committee’s offices, including improvements to the boardroom and plans to auction obsolete assets to generate funds and create more office space. He also disclosed findings from a recent IT audit which exposed weak cybersecurity systems, obsolete equipment, unlicensed software, and inadequate operational applications.
On governance matters, Akpokavie emphasized the importance of respecting the autonomy of sports federations under the Olympic Charter while operating within Ghana’s laws. He reminded members of Ghana’s previous suspension by the IOC over political interference and urged federations to familiarize themselves with Sports Regulations 2023 (L.I. 2477).
He further announced the establishment of a GOC Mediation Tribunal aimed at resolving disputes within federations through dialogue and mediation rather than prolonged court battles. The tribunal, according to him, will help reduce conflicts and strengthen governance structures within sports federations.
Funding, however, remained the central concern throughout his address. Akpokavie described inadequate and delayed funding as the greatest threat to sports development in Ghana, revealing that the GOC continues to struggle financially in preparing athletes for international competitions.
He made a passionate appeal to corporate Ghana to extend greater financial support to Olympic and non-Olympic sports alongside football.
“Even as you give football $10 million or $5 million for the World Cup, give the GOC $2 million or $1 million for the Commonwealth Games,” he stated while advocating equitable support for all sporting disciplines across the country.
Akpokavie concluded by thanking federation leaders, the Ministry for Sports and Recreation led by Kofi Adams, GOC staff, and Ghanaian athletes for their continued dedication and sacrifices toward the development of sports in Ghana.
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, media publisher, and digital marketing strategist. He is the founder and CEO of SamBoad Business Group Ltd, which includes subsidiaries in media, digital marketing, logistics, and courier services such as SamBoad Publishing, SamBoad Media Consult, and SamBoad Express.
