Sports
Post-Birmingham C’wealth Games: Let’s pick leaf from Nigeria
One thing that the just-ended Commonwealth Games in Birmingham may have thought Ghanaians is that investment and planning is key.
These are areas that the nation has fallen short over the years.
The exploits of Nigeria in Birmingham where they amassed 35 medals did not come from the blues. Years of meticulous planning backed by finance got them to the podium many times where their national anthems blared across the world. As hammered myriad times, you do not reap where you have not sown. When you put in something negligible, you would not expect to reap in bounty.
Three years before the Games, Nigeria’s Sports Minister Sunday Dare, launched what was termed as ‘Adopt-an-Athlete Initiative’ that was preceded by consultations with athletes and federations nationwide in a bid to find out the root cause of the challenges athletes faced which impeded their performances at the regional and world stages.
It was established that the unavailability of funding and grants, unavailability of scholarships and inadequate support amongst other challenges were what were militating against the rise of their athletes. It was also found that many of the athletes did not have enough income to survive and rather spent a lot of time trying to earn a living rather than spend time to further develop their skills.
The way out was to give them financial support to make a difference.
To be honest, the ‘Adopt an Athlete’ initiative itself was hatched by a sports journalist, Jide Fashikun. Sorrowfully, it was reported by the Vanguard newspaper of Nigeria that just when the programme was beginning to take shape and gain acceptance by Nigerians, Fashikun passed on.
Luckily, his partner on the project, Mary Onyali, was appointed as an aide to the present Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, who bought into the idea and latched on to it.
Companies, individuals and even state governments keyed into it, adopted potential athletes who they provided funds for to cater for their training and sundry requirements in order to avoid distractions as they prepared for competitions.
The reward is what Nigeria is reaping today. Who would have thought that a Nigerian athlete would be ruling the world in 100m hurdles with a gold medal added to it?
So, it goes without saying that a number of State Governors – from Delta, Edo, Ogun, Bayelsa and Lagos among others, were said to have embraced the initiative. After serious engagement, financial institutions like Fidelity Bank, Zenith Bank, UBA Bank, Access Bank and other corporate bodies also jumped into ‘fray’ as 38 athletes in total became beneficiaries of the ‘Adopt-an-Athlete’ initiative.
According to sources, once the initiative kicked off, some home-based athletes got as much as $10,000 paid directly into their accounts and managed solely by them.
“Some use it to pay for their coaches, kits, nutrition, health insurance, and others,” the source said.
High profile foreign-based athletes also earned $20,000 due to the fact that they had a higher overhead.
Now, three months before the Commonwealth Games, 21 meetings were said to have been held at various levels just to make sure all bases were covered. They were simply being deliberate about their goals. They knew what they wanted!
It did not end there.
The Sports Minister ensured that athlete’s allowances, bonuses and award money was available 48 hours ahead of their game. Before most athletes competed in their games, they had their allowances readily available to them. Some allowances were even increased and new bonuses activated.
Hitherto, too, Nigeria only participated in four disciplines at the Games because of unavailability of funds. This time around, the Birmingham came with nine – five more well prepared disciplines were added.
Who says good investment and planning is not the way to go? As you may have been aware, many records were smashed, glass ceilings shattered and new records set. Nigeria set four amazing new Games record, a world record and had their finest outing ever in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
It is imperative to note that Nigeria participated in nine events in Birmingham and emerged as the best in Africa and creditably seventh in the World. Records suggest that the Birmingham Commonwealth multi-sport festival was the largest ever held, with 72 participating nations.
Here in Ghana, we sent 13 disciplines and returned home with five medals (minus gold), placing 28th. Nigeria amassed 12 gold (won by Nigerian women athletes), nine silver and 14 bronze medals – 35 in all. It is Nigeria’s best outing in 15 appearances at the Games since its first participation in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1950.
Come to think about it: Nigeria’s National Sports Industry now has a Policy that has ‘reclassified’ Sports as Business and no longer as Recreation. This policy, it is said, will deliver a working plan between Private Sectors and the Federal Government. This way, the funds the Ministry does not have can easily be made up for.
On July 28, 2020, the Sports Industry Working Group (SIWG) comprising the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports (“the Ministry”), and critical sector stakeholders presented the National Sports Industry Policy (NSIP) draft document virtually to the Minister for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Dare.
This development is regarded as an important product of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Ministry and NESG on December 17, 2019.
The NSIP is aimed at leveraging Nigeria’s remarkable sporting talent, passion, interest and excellence to advance and navigate diplomatic relations, and more importantly, generate employment, create jobs, increase government revenue, and bolster the economy. The NSIP also identifies four (4) key trigger factors essential to realizing these aims – Infrastructure, Incentives, Investment and Policy (popularly christened the 3 ‘I’s & 1 ‘P’).
It is time for us to wake up – and take a leaf from the Nigerian example, or be left far behind. We cannot afford to joke again, especially as we prepare to host the African Games on August 4, 2023 (less than a year away).
PlainTalk With John Vigah
Sports
Gideon Fosu chairs CAF African Schools Football Championship 2025 Local Organizing Committee
Executive Council member Gideon Fosu has been appointed as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, Accra 2025.
Gideon Fosu, a banker, is the Vice President and Executive Officer of Division One League side Kings Palace and also heads the Centralized Operations Unit (Payment) of the Ghana Commercial Bank.
Michael Ntow Ayeh of the Ghana Education Service is the Vice Chairman of the Local Organising Committee.
Other members of the LOC are Stephen Appiah of PAC Academy and Vice Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association, Phyllis Marku Moncar.
The Committee is expected to work with both the CAF and GFA Focal Points for the functional areas to ensure the smooth execution of the Championship scheduled for the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra between April 21-26, 2025.
The GFA Focal Points for various functional areas, such as Safeguarding, Media, Transportation, Workshops, Marketing, Travel, Television, Accommodation, Competitions, and Security, have already met with their CAF counterparts and are working towards the excellent execution of the U-15 championship.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship was launched by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe in April 2022 in Maputo Mozambique. Since its inception, more than 1,965,000 boys and girls from 46 countries have participated in the programme, making it the most successful youth sport mobilization movement in Africa.
Girls and Boys teams from Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Morocco, Algeria, DR. Congo, The Gambia, Senegal, Benin, and Cote D’Ivoire will compete in the Championship.
Sports
Outstanding Premier League Matchday 20 Preview
The outstanding matchday 20 of the Premier League takes place across seven centres on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
Here is a preview of Wednesday’s matches.
Young Apostles vs Asante Kotoko
Young Apostles welcome Asante Kotoko to the Wenchi Sports Stadium on Wednesday in the Premier League.
Apostles’ 1-0 victory over bottom-placed Accra Lions last Saturday was their seventh win in the league this season after 21 matches. They’ve secured 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in the last five outings, having scored 14 and conceded 20 in the process.
Young Apostles are currently occupying the 10th position in the league table with 27 points. They head into this fixture with an unbeaten record in their last five successive home league games (W3, D2) without conceding in four of those games. The Wenchi lads will be desperate to grab all the spoils over the Ghanaian giants on Wednesday.
League leaders Asante Kotoko came from behind to salvage a point in a very absorbing fixture at Samartex over the weekend. That victory has seen the Porcupine Warriors record the most wins in the league so far (11). They’ve amassed 38 points in 21 league matches, having scored the joint most goals (24) and conceded 14.
Prosper Nartey Ogum’s men are the third-best away performers in the league currently and will be desperate to secure all the spoils away from home on Wednesday when they trip to Young Apostles.
Young Apostles are playing Asante Kotoko at home in the league for the first time since the Wenchi lads gained promotion into the Premier League this season.
FC Samartex 1996 vs Medeama SC
FC Samartex 1996 will hope to continue their impressive form when they entertain Medeama SC at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena on Wednesday March 19, 2025.
The league champions are unbeaten in their last seven consecutive league matches (W2, D5), having scored 14 and conceded the second joint least goals (11).
They are currently 8th in the league table with 28 points. The Timber Giants come into this fixture as the sixth weakest home side after 11 matches at home. They will be keen to snatch the maximum points on Wednesday over a Medeama SC side they’ve never lost to at home in the league since 2022.
The Mauve and Yellow have slipped to the 7th position in the league table with 32 points, following two wins and three defeats in the last five outings.
They’ve scored the second most goals in the league (22) and conceded 19. Medeama SC head into this fixture with three successive defeats in their last five matches away from home and will aim for a decent result on Wednesday.
FC Samartex 1996 have played Medeama SC twice at home in the league since 2022/23 season with FC Samartex 1996 winning one and drawing one.
In the 2022/23 season, FC Samartex drew goalless with Medeama SC and won 1-0 in the 2023/24 season.
Bechem United vs Hearts of Oak
Bechem United entertain Hearts of Oak at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park on Wednesday in the Premier League.
Ernest Danso’s men ended their two-game losing streak by defeating Premier League new boys Vision FC with two unanswered goals last time out (W2, D1, L2). The Hunters are currently 6th in the league table with 33 points, having scored the third joint most goals (21) and conceded 14. United are the best home performers in the league so far (W8, D2). They head into this fixture as the only team yet to concede at or suffer defeat at home this season. They will seek to continue their impressive home form on Wednesday.
Hearts of Oak’s seven-match unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end at the weekend as they were beaten 0-1 by Dreams FC at home soil (W2, D2, L1). They’ve amassed 36 points in 21 league matches, and are currently occupying the 4th position. They’ve scored 19 and conceded the least goals in the league (11). The Phobians are the second best away performers and will be desperate to bounce back to winning ways on Wednesday when they trip to Bechem.
Bechem United have played Hearts of Oak four times at home in the league sine 2020/21 season with the Hunters winning one, drawing one and losing two.
In the 2020/21 season, Bechem United lost 0-1 to Hearts of Oak, drawn 1-1 in the 2021/22 season, won 1-0 in the 2022/23 season and suffered a 2-3 defeat in the 2023/24 season.
Basake Holy Stars vs Gold Stars FC
Basake Holy Stars will aim to get back to winning ways when they welcome Gold Stars FC to the Ampain AAK II Sports Arena on Wednesday.
Hoy Stars are winless in their last five league matches (D3, L2), having scored the third joint most goals (21) and conceded the third joint most goals (22). They are 12th in the league table with 24 points.
The Aiyinase lads have conceded just a single goal in their last five home matches (W3, D2) and are among the top ten best home sides in the league currently. They will yearn for all the spoils on Wednesday.
Gold Stars FC remain in the second position in the league table with 37 points despite suffering 2-0 defeat at Aduana FC over the weekend (W2, D1, L2). They’ve scored 20 and conceded the second joint least goals (12) ahead of the clash. The Miners come into this fixture with three defeats in their last five matches away from home (W1, D1) and will be keen to secure victory on Wednesday.
Basake Holy Stars are playing Gold Stars FC at home in the league for the first time since the Aiyinase lads gained promotion in the Premier League this season.
Heart of Lions vs Dreams FC
Dreams FC travel to the Kpando Sports Stadium to battle Heart of Lions on Wednesday.
An impressive 1-0 victory at home against struggling Karela United last Sunday has seen Bashiru Hayford’s men record their tenth win in the league this season. They are currently 3rd in the league table with 37 points, having scored 20 and conceded the second joint least goals (12).
The Kpando lads are the second best home performers, they’ve suffered just a single defeat in their 11 home matches played this season (W8, D2, L1). They will seek to maintain their remarkable home form on Wednesday.
Dreams FC ended Heart of Oak’s seven-game unbeaten streak in a 1-0 victory away from home last time out. The Believers are currently 13th in the league table with 24 points after 21 rounds of matches. They’ve won 2, drawn 2 and suffered just single defeat in the last five outings, having scored the least goals (11) and conceded 16. Head Coach Abdul Karim Zito’s men head into this fixture as the eighth best away side and will aim for a rare outcome on Wednesday when they trip to Kpando.
Heart of Lions have played Dreams FC once at home in the league since the Kpando lads gained promotion back into the Premier League last season with the game ending in a 1-0 victory for Heart of Lions.
Nations FC vs Aduana FC
Nations FC entertain Aduana FC at the DR. Kwame Kyei Sports Complex on Wednesday.
Nations FC’s form has been up and down, with two wins and three defeats in their last five league matches. Such inconsistency is hampering their chances of securing a place in the top four. They are 5th in the league table with 35 points, having scored the joint most goals (24) and conceded the third joint least goals (13). Kassim Mingle Ocansey’s men head into the game as the seventh weakest home performers in the league this season.
Aduana FC produced spirited performance to defeat Gold Stars FC (2-0) in their previous league fixture to continue their February-March impressive form (W2, D1) as they are yet to concede a goal in the league since February. They are currently 11th in the table with 25 points, having scored 16 and conceded 17. The Fire Club are among the top ten best away performers in the league this season, they will be eager to record victory away from home for the second time on Wednesday.
Nations FC have played Aduana FC once at home in the league since the Abrankese lads gained promotion into the top-flight last season with the game ending in a 2-1 victory for Nations FC.
Legon Cities vs Vision FC
Struggling Legon Cities welcome newly promoted side Vision FC to the University of Ghana Sports Stadium on Wednesday in the Premier League.
Ending a two-game losing run with a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Berekum Chelsea, Legon Cities are now seeking consecutive league victories for the first time since January as they continue to vie to exit the drop zone.
The Royals are 16th in the league table with 20 points, having won 3 and suffered two defeats in the last five outings. They’ve scored 16 and conceded the most goals in the league this season (29). Cities have won their last three consecutive home fixtures ahead of the clash and are the ninth-best home performers.
Vision FC fell to their third defeat in their last five league matches last Sunday (W1, D1, L3), going down 2-0 at away to Bechem United and are just three points away from the bottom three in the table. They’ve amassed 23 points in 21 matches, having scored 16 and conceded second joint most goals (24).
The Tema-based is the fifth weakest away side (D2, L3) and will aim for a favourable result on Wednesday.
Legon Cities are playing Vision FC at home in the league for the first time since the Tema base gained promotion into the Premier League this season.
