The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has urged the government to pay closer attention to the remaining Youth Resource Centres (YRCs) across the country to ensure their timely completion and proper use.
This call came in the wake of the number of Youth Resource Centres uncompleted with a new government coming into office.
These centres, according to the SWAG, must not become white elephants, but instead, serve as vital hubs for the development of young sports talent in the country.
Mr Kwabena Yeboah, President of the association, made the call on Friday at the 49th SWAG Awards Night held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
Under the theme: ‘Gold and Glory – A Call for Change in National Orientation and Investment in Sports,’ the event sought to recognise the hard work and sacrifices of athletes, coaches, and key stakeholders who continue to make Ghana proud on the global sports stage.
According to him, the completion of these facilities would to a large extent boost the development and promotion of sports not only in the capital but the hinterland where talents abounds.
According to Mr Yeboah, it was important for the government, the private sector, and other stakeholders to recognise that sports play an integral role in forming a national identity.
“We must work together to build a sports ecosystem that benefits not only athletes but also contributes to the broader socio-economic development of the country. The time has come to make sports a priority, increase funding, and to develop sustainable models for growth,” the host of Sports Highlights, a popular programme on GTV, said.
Commenting on the state of sports in Ghana, Mr Yeboah lamented its dwindling fortunes, stressing on the need for government to increase investment in the sector.
“Ghana’s football scene continues to face significant challenges with the Black Stars suffering another group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
“This decline affected not only the Black Stars but also the Black Galaxies, and the Black Starlets, who missed out on qualification for the CHAN and African U-17 Championship.”
According to him, the fact that the last time a Ghanaian club won a continental trophy was two decades ago, when Accra Hearts of Oak won the inaugural CAF Confederation Cup in 2005 was sad enough.
“This prolonged drought highlights the urgent need for a stronger financial commitment from both the government and corporate Ghana to make our domestic clubs and leagues more competitive. It is only through such investments that we can produce quality players around whom stronger national teams will be built,” he added.
Boxing was not left out of the disappointments as the Black Bombers failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games despite participating in qualification competitions in Senegal, Italy and Thailand.
“On the professional level, no Ghanaian boxer won any significant title as the country continue to search for another world champion,” he mentioned.
These setbacks, he said, highlights the urgent need for deeper investment, better training facilities, and a more structured development pathway for athletes.
According to the SWAG President, the Black Queens’ return to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the success of the Black Satellites and Black Princesses at the 13th African Games in Accra suggests that with the right approach, Ghana sports would bounce back.
BY ANDREW NORTEY