A stakeholder consultative Forum aimed at soliciting views and suggestions from industry players towards the establishment of the proposed National Sports Development Fund has been held at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The Forum which was under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) brought together representatives from recognized sports Federations and Associations to deliberate on the way forward for the yet to be established Sports Fund which has been widely touted as a lasting panacea to the challenges of sports development and promotion as well as increase and maintain sports infrastructure across the country.

Invited to the Forum to present papers on the need for the Sports Fund were representatives from the Attorney General’s Department, the Ghana Statistical Service and well-known experts in sports.

Key issues that were deliberated on during the Forum include how to identify revenue streams for the Fund, management and disbursement of the Fund when it is established and the legal basis or processes that would lead to the establishment of the Fund. Sports as a fully fledge industry was also explored and discussed during the Forum.

In a keynote address to open the Forum, the sector Minister, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (MP) stated his commitment towards the realization of the Fund. The Minister noted that the establishment of the Fund which is solely geared towards bridging the financial deficit would be a legacy for the sports industry by the current administration.
Also present at the Forum were the Deputy Minister Pius Enam Hadzide, and the Director General of the NSA Robert Sarfo Mensah.

It would be recalled that in May this year, a 13-member Technical Committee headed by the Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide was inaugurated to oversee the realization of the Fund.