By Simon Asare, GNA
Accra, Nov. 05, GNA – Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has called on Parliament to review restrictions on sponsorship by alcoholic beverage companies, arguing that the policy has deprived Ghana football of significant investment opportunities.
The GFA President made this call while briefing Parliament’s Sports Committee on the state of Ghanaian football, the performance of the Black Stars, domestic football development, refereeing, infrastructure and the financial challenges facing the association.
According to Mr Simeon-Okraku, the Food and Drugs Authority’s (FDA) restrictions had cost the GFA millions of dollars in potential sponsorship revenue needed to support football development.
He revealed that the GFA lost a sponsorship deal worth more than five million dollars annually with Guinness Ghana after the FDA declined to approve the agreement.
“We were approached by Guinness Ghana Limited wanting to invest heavily in the Ghana Premier League. We had a series of meetings, but at the end FDA said no. The deal was over five million dollars a year. We lost it,” he told the Committee.
Mr Simeon-Okraku appealed to Parliament to consider reviewing the policy, noting that football leagues in other countries continue to benefit from sponsorship from alcoholic beverage companies.
He stressed that achieving sustained success in football required collective responsibility and greater investment in infrastructure rather than placing the burden solely on the GFA.
According to him, poor playing surfaces, inadequate stadium facilities and weaknesses in technical support systems continue to hamper the progress of Ghana’s national teams.
Mr Okraku also revealed that all national teams, including the Black Stars and Black Queens, depend on a single bus purchased by the GFA in 2008, which has now broken down, forcing the association to rent transportation during recent international assignments.
He further called on government to remove import duties on uniforms for the Black Stars to reduce the cost of preparing the national team for international competitions.
Touching on Ghana’s long wait for another Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, Mr Simeon-Okraku noted that despite producing several generations of talented players, the country had gone 44 years without lifting the continental trophy.
“The Black Stars in 44 years have not won the AFCON. We’ve had different generations of super talents and reached the final on three occasions,” he said.
While acknowledging the disappointment, he suggested that deeper issues were contributing to the drought and expressed readiness to engage stakeholders on the matter away from the public spotlight.
Mr Henry Ernest Norgbey, Chairman of the Select Committee, assured the GFA of Parliament’s support in efforts to strengthen football and sports development in the country.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Simon Asare
Email: [email protected]