Ghana’s minister for youth and sports development, Mustapha Ussif, has called on West African nations to emulate the North African countries by ramping up their investments in sports infrastructure and development.
Ussif made the call at the ongoing African Games in Ghana, where Egypt and Algeria currently dominate the medals table, with Tunisia and Morocco also amongst the top 10.
Highlighting the importance of strategic investments in sports, Ussif said Ghana is on the brink of a new era where substantial investments in sports will yield tangible results across the country.
He stressed that for West Africa to compete at the highest levels and achieve greater success, it is imperative for governments and stakeholders to prioritize sports development.
Minister Ussif outlined key areas where investments are crucial for the advancement of sports in the region to include infrastructure – to develop state-of-the-art sports facilities and stadiums to provide athletes with world-class training and competition venues.
He also said grassroots development is also important as investing in grassroots programs to identify and nurture young talent from a grassroots level will ensure a sustainable pipeline of future champions.
Ussif added that more high-performance training centers equipped with cutting-edge technology and expert coaching staff are desired to enhance the performance of elite athletes.
Also, enhancing sports medicine facilities and services to ensure the health and well-being of athletes, as well as to expedite recovery and rehabilitation processes are necessary.
