It is for us Ghanaians to face reality and call a spade a spade. It is time for a few home truths to be rammed home, not least because of several revelations that have come out during the public hearings of the Presidential Commission of Enquiry. For me, all governments since 2001 are to be blamed for the shambolic and poor running of our youth and sports ministry, especially with sport, and I have my reasons.

YOUTH AND SPORTS MINISTRY A VIDEO GAME?

‘Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye is the new man to run the Youth and Sports Ministry as the replacement for Dr Mustapha Ahmed’was the headline for most online portals and print media.

The retired sports journalist would be the ninth Youth and Sports Minister under the governance of the National Democratic Congress since 2008.

The New Patriotic Party, under the leadership of John Agyekum Kufuor, saw him appoint Malam Isa as the first Sports Minister. The circumstances surrounding his sacking is legendary, having been fired over some missing $46,000.00. Papa Owusu Ankomah, the late Edward Osei Kwaku, Yaw Osafo Marfo, Professor Fobih, Osei Bonsu Amoah, and late Kwadwo Baah Wiredu all had their turns in managing capacities at the ministry at some point. That represents seven appointments in seven years.

One would have thought two ministers of Youth and Sports under their jurisdiction and political reign would have been perfect and stabilised the sector but that was not be.

BRAZIL SAMBA DANCING OR FOOTBALL

CHOBOI CHOBOI!!! Remember him? These days he is a Minister of State at the Presidency. I believe many Ghanaians would want to quickly forget the circumstances that led to the Government of Ghana flying a whopping $4 million dollars to pay our players as appearance fees in Brazil.

The Black Stars had refused to fly out from their base in Maceio to Brasilia for the must-win clash against Portugal. This unprecedented act transpired under the watch of former Youth and Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, a Minister who expressed tonnes of optimism about the Stars going all the way in winning the Mundial.

The events of the Brazil 2014 World Cup will forever be remembered in the minds of Ghanaians and perhaps account for the Black Stars’low approval ratings these days. The government of Ghana spent a staggering GHS 24,677,025 (US$9,675,404) on the Black Stars at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Despite the shame the actions of these individuals may have brought the nation, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah was strangely appointed Minister of State at the Presidency, much to the chagrin of many a Ghanaian who had wanted his dismissal following his failure to manage all that transpired in Brazil. He had completely lost the plot. He had to go. He was rather moved to the Presidency. To protect him?

The amount of monies we spend on the Black Stars of Ghana is mind-boggling and to think that for the last 32 years they have not won anything for the country is quite frustrating. I know others who benefit from their travels and participation in these competitions will disagree with me and say otherwise. I will leave you to make your own conclusions on whether the Black stars deserve the attention they are getting.

LEAST-FINANCED SPORTING DISCIPLINES

Is it not embarrassing that the Paralympic team had to fund their own air tickets to fly to the United States of America to prepare for the Paralympic games? My understanding is that the team got to Brazil without their chef de mission and were not allowed to use facilities at the Games Village.

But one would wonder what the nation had been up to in terms of preparation after London 2012. Looks like four long years gone down the drain. The Youth and Sports Minister, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, is on record to have said funds had to be reserved to attend to the Paralympic team and the Black Maidens following the failure of the Sports Ministry to raise funds for a recent Black Stars game.
“We don’t have the money to finance this particular match because we are putting money together to take care of our Paralympic team who will be competing in the Paralympic games and also the Black Maidens who will be competing in the World Championships in Jordan,” Vanderpuye lamented on radio.

We can only wish the Paralympic team all the best and hope they can win some medals for the country.

Amateur Boxing, which used to be a major strength for Ghana, has been left to its fate, with lack of proper training facilities, lack of proper training for coaches, and lack of support for the boxers themselves. The thought of only one boxer qualifying for Rio 2016 is enough evidence of the dire state of the sport in the country. Weightlifters and swimmers would travel and return to Ghana with many medals and the most they would get is political double talk and promises of strengthening structures, which never happen. But the best is a tour by the Minister and breakfast in a plush hotel.

It is fair to say that the progress of sports in the country is at a standstill and it is about time the Sports Ministry lived up to the billing of moving sport to the next level. We have fallen behind as a nation for far too long.