Newly elected President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Richard Akpokavie, has pledged to make athlete welfare, gender inclusion, and conflict resolution the hallmarks of his four-year tenure.
Speaking after his election victory yesterday, Akpokavie emphasised the urgent need to prioritise athletes’ voices within the GOC’s governance structure.
The athletes have no voice in our governance structure as it stands.
This cannot continue.
It must change.
Athletes must be heard ; at Congress, on the executive board, and on committees.
We are here because of the athletes, and their voices must be central to everything we do.
He also highlighted the critical role of women in sports leadership, stressing that empowering female athletes and decision-makers will be a mainstay of his administration.
Women must be empowered. We must build their capacity and create pathways for greater involvement in decision-making. There must be more women at the table where key decisions are made.
Addressing the longstanding issue of disunity within the GOC, Akpokavie underlined that internal divisions have hampered progress and credibility, and resolving them is a top priority.
There are too many disputes and divisions in our sports administration. We need to work together as one team. We have several players, but we must build one GOC team.
Without unity, we cannot attract support from institutions or corporate bodies.
Right now, when stakeholders read negative stories about us in the papers, it weakens our position.
We must unite and build strong structures.
Akpokavie also promised to introduce effective dispute resolution mechanisms, advocating for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods to minimise court battles that often stall development within the sporting fraternity.
Disputes should be resolved within the sporting community. We need structures that encourage mediation and arbitration, not endless litigation. We see so many cases in court, but few outcomes that actually benefit the sports disciplines.
With his election win, Richard Akpokavie will lead the GOC for the next four years, aiming to create a stronger, more inclusive, and united sporting environment for Ghana’s athletes.