Former Sports Minister Rejects Athlete Funding for Sports Bill
Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has thrown his weight behind the Ghana Sports Fund Bill, 2025, but cautioned against tapping athletes as a primary funding source for the proposed scheme.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Mr. Ussif voiced his support for the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth and Sports’ recommendation that the bill be expedited.
He clarified that the Sports Fund Bill originated and was drafted during his time as Minister of Youth and Sports – now the Ministry of Sports and Recreation – as part of a long-term strategy to guarantee consistent funding for sports development in the nation.
The former Minister highlighted the significant challenges athletes face, particularly in accessing essential equipment and adequate facilities. “Equipment is a major challenge, not to talk of even facilities,” he said.
Mr. Ussif pointed to the African Games hosted by Ghana last year as providing a unique opportunity to address some of these shortages. “We only had to leverage on hosting the African Games we hosted last year to get most of these equipment for some of these national teams and that’s why some of them are now doing well,” he noted.
He emphasized the crucial role quality equipment plays in athlete performance, stating, “Some of them use these equipment to train so that they can represent us well.”
Mr. Ussif also expressed reservations regarding the dependability of government budgetary allocations to sports, citing frequent delays in disbursement. “The sources of funding indicated in the report, apart from the budgetary—which we all know in this country, even the releases is a problem,” he told the House.
He proposed that the National Lottery Authority (NLA) could offer a more reliable funding stream for the Sports Fund, urging closer collaboration. “The most reliable one I can say is the Lotteries,” he stated. “I want to say that the Minister should work very well with the National Lottery Authority so that the establishment will find innovative ways of getting proceeds from that channel.”
However, the former minister firmly rejected any suggestions of levying athletes. “Aside that, you can’t rely on players and athletes’ proceeds. You can’t!” he stressed, explaining that many athletes already struggle with financial burdens related to their training and preparation.
He added, “Most of these athletes still rely in Ghana even for their preparations. Some of them will write or call you for Ghana to sponsor them to be able to come, even though they are professionals, because some of them are students while representing us.” He also noted the difficulty athletes outside of football experience in securing financial support. “Apart from the footballers, the rest is difficult to get money.”
Despite his concerns, Mr. Ussif reiterated his support for the swift passage of the bill. “I support the Minister for getting this one passed,” he concluded.
The Sports Fund Bill, 2025, is designed to establish a dedicated fund to support sports development, infrastructure improvements, and provide assistance to athletes as part of broader reforms within the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
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