What's up with GFA and Ghana Sports?

Ghana is abounding with talents who, when given the least opportunity and resources, can be world-beaters. It comes very natural. There is however this joke about a conversation between God and one of the angels on the day of creation. It goes like this: When God was creating Ghana, He put in gold, diamonds, bauxite, salt, and lots of rich vegetation. The angel asked: My Lord Oh Most High, why are you so generous to this land? God said: Hold on a bit. He then made available chances and opportunities that when grabbed could take man to higher heights. The angel said again: My Lord if I may intrude again, I think you are being unfair to other lands. The Lord replied: Just see the manner of people I put in there. Then He created the typical Ghanaman. And everything went upside down. This showed clearly in the administration of sports.

Talents that abound in Ghana sports are limitless, yet we have little to show. Once upon a time we were Lords and Ladies of Black sports with stars like Alice Anum, Dan Philips, George Daniels, Ohene Karikari and Joshua Owusu, to mention a few. There were giants like Osei Kofi, Mfum, Adarkwa, Evans, and Amadu Akuse, who managed to keep our soccer flag flying.

The resources are there; however, the administration of sports leaves much to be desired.

Very ambitious initiatives are killed in the bud before the sports person can offer his or her best for the nation.

In 1977, the National Academicals Track and Field squad had come out of a successful campaign during the 3rd National Sports Festival. Preparing to go to meet their counterparts in Togo for the Ghana-Togo Academicals Games, the hurdlers were told at their Achimota School Camp base that since the Togolese had no hurdle team, they were to drop out of the team and go home. One hurdler went to see the head coach and pleaded that he must be allowed to go. He was given the assurance. He got his ticket through this way:

The three top sprinters, namely Dan Philips, Nii Teiko Okine and Attipoe were set aside. Another group of eight sprinters, which strangely included this hurdler, were assembled at the starting base of the 100 meters sprints, to get a final selection of three runners. They were engaged to a sprint endurance race.

They were to run the flat race, go back to base and run again. This went on for four times, and one fine runner called Monster was always tops and our hurdler was always fourth. During the fifth run, Monster with only 10 meters to clear, pulled a muscle and dropped like a bag of cocoa. He came last and our hurdler came third. Monster while in the state of pain was callously informed by the head coach that he would not make it to Togo.

The young student athlete was not even attended to medically. The trial was discontinued. The desired result was achieved. Monster packed bag and baggage and left camp that evening. The hurdler made the trip and became a cheerleader. Ghana had the fourth top sprinter at home while his replacement was only a cheerleader. This is sports administration for you. Killing initiatives.

For strange reasons based more on the personal than on the administrative, many good sports personalities were dropped out of camp. Can we explain why Ernest Obeng was dropped out of the Olympics squad in Moscow just before the start of the 100 meters heats? Ernest who was based in London beat Alan Wells before the Olympics Games and repeated the dosage after the games. Alan Wells won the 100 meter gold in Moscow. Ghana missed gold, because someone thought his or her selfish desires were paramount.

The sport with the largest following in Ghana, soccer, is also hit with this canker. The GFA all through the ages had the opportunity to make Ghana soccer the best managed in Africa, yet perhaps due to personal ambitions the sport is left to rot.

How can the GFA past and present believe that it is only foreign coaches that can send Ghana places while the evidence says the opposite?

The GFA is always accused of leaning on one team or the other. In the seventies, when Kotoko was wallowing at the bottom of the league at the end of the first round, the GFA came out to say that no team would be relegated that season. In the end Kotoko came a respective second or third and their bogey club, Hasaacas, went to the bottom.

Recently, Goldfields was also spared relegation under strange and ridiculous directives from the GFA.

The recent Charles Taylor saga could not have happened if only we have an FA, which lives up to the task. Instead of implementing laws, rules and regulations that would among others have a smooth and fair player transfer, the GFA looks on while ridiculous things happen and crosses the bridge when they get there.

When Charles Taylor's manager claimed that he was not present when the player signed for an extension of contract as required by an agreement with Hearts, so the contract should be set aside, Hearts responded by saying that since the manager was not registered with FIFA his presence was not necessary. Strangely Hearts dealt with him when he was bringing in Charles Taylor. GFA kept mute.

When Kotoko also went for Taylor knowing that he had a commitment to settle with Hearts, the GFA sat cool, looking the other way.

The historic fee charged against Taylor and Kotoko and awarded Hearts could pose problems later. Some rich clubs could poach players with cheeky ease and coolly pay the price.

What the GFA must do is to bring good laws on transfer of players that would benefit player, teams and the FA.

This Charles Taylor saga has brought speculations that the GFA supports Kotoko and also government has a hand. In fact, GFA's non-performance especially over the poor showings of our senior national team and why they are not kicked out by government has added weight to this school of thought.

People forget that the GFA, like other FAs the world over, has guaranteed immunity from government manipulations. FIFA has the right to ban any government that changes their FA. Zimbabwe is one country being considered for sanctioning.

I however believe that FIFA must take another look at Africa. Unlike the Western countries, our governments maintain the FAs and our taxes bear the cost. So if there is overwhelming evidence of non-performance we have the right to remove them. We could pick the FA by referendum.

That the current GFA supports Kotoko can revive old memories. When Hearts were taken on by Kotoko over a player who had two yellow cards and yet played the subsequent match, the premier club irresponsibly claimed that they did not know their own player was banned and sought clarification from the GFA, who also said they had no records to confirm the charges. In the end when it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that indeed the player was to be banned, the GFA punished the match commissioner and spared Hearts and the player. Is it not a case of sparing the armed robber but jailing his weapons?

This is how ridiculous our GFAs can handle affairs. The fact that Kotoko suffered a lot under the previous GFA does not warrant any favoritism from the current. This would not augur well for the development of soccer in this country. It seems that these two giants who hold high our flag are the same who are lowering it.

Any solutions? All sports associations in this country must be made up of personalities who must set a task ahead and achieve it before the end of their tenure of office. We need associations that will go into the hinter lands and scout for talents and bring them up to stardom, not those who will only chase after ripen fruits. In the seventies the Acheampong Administration instituted the National Sports Festival. The idea was to get hidden talents, so the stars were asked to stay out. The result was great.

We had personalities like Kofi Abrey, Kofi Badu for soccer, George Osei, Grace Armah for track and field, Ola Bode Williams for volleyball and Azumah Nelson for boxing to mention a few, coming out of the shadows and to beat the world and Africa.

More recreational centers must be set up in all urban, district and rural areas. When the children are able to run around freely they would develop their talents.

All coaches and managers must be permitted to go on courses abroad and given all the necessary resources to take charge of teams from the district to the national.

Sports administrators must eschew favoritism and handle our sports with open and positive minds. We cannot have the situation where those in charge of our sports select sports personalities based on sexual favors, monetary favors, and undue pressures while very good ones are kicked out.

One sports administration in charge of organizing one of the games at the 1982 National Sports Festival had three teams qualifying for the final of finals. Do we need to be told more?

Businesses that sponsor the sports must be given some percentage tax rebate.

We must create fame and success in the sport and stop making waves .sporting waves. The GFA must wake up.