The Ministry of Youth and Sports over the last decades has concentrated much on football to the detriment of other sporting disciplines. The former administration supported sporting events such as basketball, volleyball athletics, tennis, and golf, horse racing etc.

The Accra Mail was in town once more only to find out that it is all about football when it comes to sport. Many people when interviewed narrowed their comments to soccer, despite the broad nature of our questions. Perhaps that is why it commands a lot of passion. When asked why, they said, so far as Ghanaians are concerned all we know is 'football and nothing else'.

A considerable number of people also showed interest in boxing, which is the second popular game in the country. When asked why he thinks Ghana is not excelling in football, this gentleman has this to say: 'I suppose because we do not have adequate training centers for our sports men to build up, whiles the westerners are much exposed to that'. Some were of the view that, the new government should divorce sports from politics if sports in Ghana is to meet international standards.

On the Black Stars our panel from the field says that they (foreign players) should report at least two weeks before a match takes off or local players should be camped to substitute the professionals if they fail to turn up on time.

This could build trust in our local players to 'die' for the nation. Some suggested the local players should be maintained other than selling them to foreign teams at their initial stages. 'Football veterans,' they added, 'should be invited to handle the team in terms of motivation and encouragement.'

Examples like Roger Miller of Cameroon and Oppong Weah of Liberia who led the lone stars recently to disgrace the Black Stars at home are worth emulating.

The minister of sports should also encourage G.A.S.S.A to unearth and develop some of the promising sports students to bring their talents to the national scene.

Sports officials should take stringent measures on athletes who escape from camp while abroad because such recalcitrance deters sponsors in promoting in coming athletes. This prevents them from exposing their talents to the benefit of this nation.

Another sporting activity that Ghana has poorly excelled in is swimming. The only swimming pool the national sports stadium used to have some years back is totally devastated. It has remained unattended by different sports officials who have headed the ministry.

Horse racing which is recently gaining some amount of publicity also needs to be of greater concern. Most people suggest that, in order for this aspect of sports to gain international ranking vetinary officers should give free medical check up to the horses to keep them healthy.

In addition to the sports disciplines that we have highlighted in this story, all the people we spoke to petitioned the minister of sports to provide every sports man with all the needed facilities which meet modern standards to boost sporting activities in Ghana.