Outgoing President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, has issued a strong caution to the government against the infiltration of partisan politics into the management and development of sports in the country.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Nunoo Mensah stressed that politics should be kept separate from sports administration to ensure growth and international credibility.
“Individuals in sports who do not understand the way international sports work may think that sports has to be political. No, I don’t agree with them,” he said.
“I’m very much part of the NDC structure in my constituency, but it only stops in my house. When I wear the cap of GOC President, I’m not political. That is what the IOC demands us to do.”
He emphasized the importance of adhering to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) charter, which promotes political neutrality in sports administration.
“Anybody who believes in the charter of the IOC will caution any government who wants to make sports political. It will not be good for the long-term development of our sports, especially when it has to do with the Ghana Olympic Committee or national federations,” he stated.
Nunoo Mensah, who played a significant role in Ghana’s successful hosting of the 13th African Games in Accra last year, urged government officials to allow stakeholders within the sports federations to manage their affairs independently.
“Let the stakeholders run these things, and I’m sure they know what’s good for the federations that they belong to,” he added.
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