The Chair of the National Sports Authority’s Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Committee, Samson Deen, has described the proposed Constituency Games as a key part of President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Ghana Sports Agenda.

According to Deen, the initiative will take organised sports, talent identification and development opportunities directly to communities across the country.

He said the Games could provide pathways for talented athletes to access scholarships, professional opportunities, national-team selection and investment, while also creating economic opportunities for local communities.

The proposal has received support from the Office of the President.

In an official letter dated September 3, 2025, and addressed to the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah stated that “the Office of the President is in support of the organization of the Constituency Games.”

The letter also advised the Ministry to coordinate the initiative to ensure that the Games “take off as planned” and offered further support from the Office of the Chief of Staff where necessary.

Speaking at the inauguration of the NSA Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Committee at the ESP Hotel Conference Room in Labone, Accra, Deen said Ghana’s sporting development must not be concentrated in Accra and other major cities.

He said the programme should reach every constituency and provide opportunities for young people in both rural and urban communities, including women, girls and persons with disabilities.

“The Constituency Games represent a decisive pillar of President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Ghana Sports Agenda,” Deen said.

“It is a truly national programme designed to ensure that Ghanaians in every constituency—not only those in the major cities—benefit from organised sport, talent development and new economic opportunities.”

Deen said the initiative was also consistent with President Mahama’s campaign commitment to strengthen talent identification and ensure that gifted athletes could be discovered regardless of where they lived.

He said the Games could support government’s broader objectives of improving grassroots sports development, providing scholarships, establishing sports academies and centres of excellence, and creating opportunities for athletes after competitions.

Under the proposed framework, athletes would begin at the community and constituency levels before progressing to regional championships and national finals.

Outstanding athletes could subsequently be considered for scholarships, academies, training camps, centres of excellence and national-team development programmes.

Deen said the programme should be inclusive and provide opportunities across different sporting disciplines, rather than focusing mainly on football.

He also called for women and girls and athletes with disabilities to be given meaningful opportunities to participate and develop their talents.

He proposed the creation of a national digital database to track athletes, including their sporting disciplines, performances, educational status and development history.

According to him, such a system would allow sports federations, coaches and scouts to monitor promising athletes beyond the competition period.

Deen said athletes identified through the Games should not be left without support after winning medals.

He called for partnerships among educational institutions, sports federations, corporate organisations, scholarship authorities and sports academies to provide athletes with opportunities for further education and professional development.

He also suggested that retired athletes could be engaged as coaches, scouts, mentors, technical advisers and administrators to help develop the next generation of athletes.

Beyond sports development, Deen said the Constituency Games could stimulate economic activity in participating communities.

He noted that the events could create opportunities for transport operators, food vendors, hospitality businesses, equipment suppliers, security personnel, medical workers, photographers, event managers and digital-content creators.

He further urged corporate Ghana to consider the Games as a potential investment and sponsorship platform rather than simply a charitable initiative.

According to him, a well-structured nationwide competition could provide opportunities for corporate partnerships, naming rights, broadcast deals, community activations and digital engagement.

Deen said the success of the Games would depend on transparency, accountability and effective coordination among stakeholders.

He called for clear competition rules, transparent procurement processes, financial reporting, athlete safeguarding measures, medical protocols and accessible mechanisms for resolving complaints.

He said the success of the programme should be measured by participation across constituencies, the number of athletes identified, the representation of women and persons with disabilities, scholarships secured and athletes progressing to higher levels of competition.

Deen said the initiative would require collaboration among the Presidency, Ministry of Sports and Recreation, National Sports Authority, Regional Coordinating Councils, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, the Ghana Education Service and sports federations.

Traditional authorities, corporate institutions, development partners, community organisations and the media would also have important roles to play.

“The Constituency Games are more than a sporting competition. They are a national movement to unite communities, create opportunities for young people, stimulate local economic activity and rebuild Ghana’s sporting foundations from the grassroots,” he said.

“If we want to reset Ghana sports, we must begin in our communities. If we want to discover Ghana’s next generation of champions, we must take opportunity directly to every constituency.”

Deen said the initiative could provide a practical platform for translating the government’s sports agenda into opportunities for young people across the country.