Ghana’s Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Mustapha Ussif has called upon West African nations to ramp up their investments in sports infrastructure and development to emulate the success achieved by North African countries in the realm of sports. Minister Ussif made these remarks during the ongoing African Games, where Egypt and Algeria currently dominate the medals table, with Tunisia and Morocco also amongst the top 10.
Highlighting the importance of strategic investments in sports, Minister Ussif emphasized that Ghana is on the brink of a new era where substantial investments in sports will yield tangible results across the country. He stressed that for West Africa to compete at the highest levels and achieve greater success, it is imperative for governments and stakeholders to prioritize sports development.
Minister Ussif outlined key areas where investments are crucial for the advancement of sports in the region. These include Infrastructure – to develop state-of-the-art sports facilities and stadiums to provide athletes with world-class training and competition venues. He also said grassroots development is also important as investing in grassroots programs to identify and nurture young talent from a grassroots level will ensure a sustainable pipeline of future champions.
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Ussif added that more high-performance training centers equipped with cutting-edge technology and expert coaching staff are desired to enhance the performance of elite athletes. Also, enhancing sports medicine facilities and services to ensure the health and well-being of athletes, as well as to expedite recovery and rehabilitation processes are necessary.
Minister Ussif stressed that by prioritizing these areas of investment, West African nations can create an enabling environment for athletes to excel on the international stage, just as their North African counterparts have demonstrated.
As Ghana enters this new dispensation of sports development, Minister Ussif reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in sports infrastructure and programs that will empower athletes and contribute to the nation’s sporting success.
