The National Sports Authority (NSA) has intensified efforts to build broad stakeholder support for the proposed Constituency Games, engaging the media as a strategic partner in delivering what officials describe as potentially the biggest intervention in Ghana’s sports sector since independence.
The NSA’s Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Committee (RMPC) hosted a Consultative Engagement and Endorsement Forum with Ghanaian and international media organisations on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the ESP Hotel in Labone, Accra.
The forum marked an important step towards establishing a coordinated national media partnership capable of taking the message of the Constituency Games from every community in Ghana and around the world.
‘A call to action’
The RMPC, a five-member committee inaugurated on August 14, 2026, is chaired by Samson Deen, who also serves as President of both the African Paralympic Committee (APC) and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Ghana. Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, the NSA’s Director-General, serves as Co-Chairman, with Hajia Zenabu Sulemana, Alhaji Mutawakilu Iddrisu and Mavis Ekua Enyamah Kwainoe completing the committee.
Speaking at the forum, Deen described the mass media as important partners who are going to cover, promote and present information through advertisements on the Games. He emphasised that the media turns transparency into public trust — one of the key reasons for engaging journalists at this early stage.
Deen advised sports journalists to shun negative reportage in order to attract sponsorships, safeguard their gains, verify information gathered, seek consent, make corrections where possible, and publish news that builds the confidence of the people.
He further disclosed that several foreign communities in Ghana have expressed their readiness to support the initiative financially.
Nationwide talent hunt
The Constituency Games are scheduled to span six months from October 2026 to 2027, involving all 275 constituencies across Ghana, with participants aged 15 to 35 years. The programme is designed to bring structured sporting competitions to every constituency while creating a sustainable system for identifying, financing and developing young sporting talents from the community level through to the international stage.
Deen emphasised that this is an opportunity for the youth and aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision on Youth In Sports to overhaul grassroots sports. He expressed that the youth are the majority who perform sports activities and other recreational activities which boost tourism and promote sustainable development.
The sporting disciplines to be considered in the initial event include football, athletics, boxing and para sports.
Beyond talent development, the initiative is also expected to promote physical fitness, discipline, teamwork and social cohesion among participants.
‘Not an event but an evolution’
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Director-General of the NSA, described the planned Constituency Games as potentially the biggest intervention in Ghana’s sports sector since independence.
“The Constituency Games is not an event but an evolution. It is ideal that we change from good to better and best to a high standard level,” he stressed.
Ankrah articulated that the resetting of Ghana Sports is not a political slogan but essential in the lives of the youth. He commended the participants and urged them to report positive news, adding that the initiative would help move sports development beyond major urban centres and create a broader platform for young people with sporting potential to be identified and nurtured.
He appealed to media practitioners to take ownership of the initiative by supporting its promotion and contributing ideas that could help improve its implementation. “It’s for you, my dear media colleagues. Let’s hold it, let’s embrace it, and let’s push it to the next level,” he urged.
Expo and Ghana @ 70 celebrations
Deen revealed that there will be an expo to showcase all the sporting disciplines under the NSA, and sports will lead the way in the celebration of Ghana @ 70 Independence.
The NSA is also developing a Constituency Games Handbook which will incorporate inputs from stakeholders and provide a clear framework for implementation, covering guidelines on logistics, venues, budgeting, financial discipline and the operational responsibilities of stakeholders involved in the Games.
Media partnership and funding concerns
As part of the proposed media partnership, media organisations have been encouraged to submit recommendations on issues including fairness, athlete safety and verification processes. They have also been asked to nominate newsroom focal persons and monitor at least one constituency throughout the competition — from registration and qualification through to the final outcomes.
Deen assured the media that the NSA would provide timely and verified information throughout the process, while making a clear distinction between confirmed decisions and proposals still under consideration.
Media practitioners at the forum contributed positively, with one suggesting that the Justice Dzamefe Report — which calls for a percentage of World Cup proceeds to be directed into supporting the NSA — should be executed, since the major issue of the project was funding.
Committee members Hajia Sulemana Zenabu, Alhaji Iddris Muntawakilu Ahmed and Mavis Animah Kwainoo urged the media to own and protect the project which is aimed at resetting grassroots sports development.
Building the system
At the inauguration of the RMPC on August 14, Deen made clear the committee’s broader ambition, arguing that Ghana needs a more structured approach to investing in its sporting talent.
“Ghana does not lack sporting talent. What we must build is the system that finds the talent, finances the talent, develops the talent, projects the talent — and takes that talent to the podium,” he said.
He called for a shift away from last-minute fundraising towards longer-term planning. “We must move from emergency funding to strategic investment,” he said.
The committee will also advance a proposed $30 million National Sports Revival and Podium Investment Programme covering infrastructure, athlete preparation, coaching, sports science, anti-doping programmes and grassroots development.
Deen has also proposed the creation of a national digital talent database to track athletes’ performances and development, allowing federations, coaches and accredited scouts to monitor promising talents beyond the competition period.
“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,” Deen said.
If successfully delivered, the programme could provide a new pathway for young athletes across Ghana to progress from grassroots competition to national and international sporting platforms — including the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and World Championships — while strengthening the role of communities in the country’s sports development agenda.
