‘Our problem with Ghana sports is long-term planning’ – NSA boss Osei Sarpong advocates sports development
His comments come amid a difficult period for Ghanaian football, with both male and female national teams struggling on the international stage to qualify for or win major tournaments.
The Acting Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, has criticized the hiring of elite coaches as a solution to Ghana's ongoing sports issues, advocating for long-term planning and athlete development instead. This call follows Ghana's recent struggles in international sports competitions, particularly in football where both the men's and women's national teams are failing to secure victories or qualify for major tournaments.
In an interview with Citi Sports, Sarpong stressed that without a comprehensive approach to planning and athlete development, the underlying reasons for Ghana's decline in sports performance will persist.
The NSA chief's remarks come as the Black Maidens, currently participating in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, find themselves at the bottom of their group with only one point from two games. They trail behind Canada and Norway by two points, and Brazil by three. To remain in contention, they need a win against Canada in their final match.
Similarly, the male U-17 team, the Black Starlets, missed out on qualifying for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which is also a pathway to the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup. On the senior level, the Black Stars recently lost 2-0 to Côte d'Ivoire and 4-2 to The Gambia, raising concerns about the state of Ghanaian football.
Sarpong further revealed a critical shortage of qualified fitness trainers and strength and conditioning coaches specifically for football in Ghana. He questioned the allocation of resources towards developing such coaches, suggesting that the funds could be better used to cultivate local coaching talent. He proposed a stronger collaboration among the NSA, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), and various sports federations to establish a structured talent identification system.
Sarpong highlighted the establishment of the Grassroots Sports Secretariat as a crucial starting point towards building a sustainable pipeline of athletes. He emphasized that identifying and nurturing talent from a young age is essential, proposing a six-year program beginning at age 12 to prepare athletes for world-class competition by the age of 18.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
