Sports Ministry to launch COVID-19 stimulus package for national athletes

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah has announced that the Ministry is set to unveil a stimulus package which will cushion Ghanaian athletes from the negative economic impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Minister at a press briefing today (May 3, 2020) in Accra said the package christened, Youth in Elite Sports for Ghana was developed through the collaborative effort of the Youth Employment Agency, National Sports Authority, National Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

He said the Youth in Elite Sports for Ghana would be launched soon to aid national athletes who are preparing for international competitions.

"...the pandemic has caused immeasurable damage to the preparation of Ghanaian athletes who were preparing the various qualifiers for the Olympic Games with untold economic hardships," Mr Asiamah lamented.

"As a way to mitigate their plight, a collaboration between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), the National Sports Authority (NSA), the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the institution of a stimulus package known as 'Youth in Elite Sports for Ghana' will be launched soon. The programme is to provide the needed mitigation stimulus to abate the economic impact on their preparation".

He had earlier stated that in Ghana, the COVID-19 pandemic had brought untold financial hardship to all stakeholders of sports but he stressed that national athletes who were preparing to participate in qualifiers for the Olympic Games had particularly been affected.

2023 African Games unaffected by COVID-19

He further disclosed that the pandemic has so far not affected Ghana's preparations towards organising and hosting the 13th edition of the Africa Games in 2023.

"Notwithstanding the negative effect of COVID-19 on the global sporting programmes, I am happy to announce that, Ghana’s preparation to host and organise the 2023 African Games is on course. So far, there has not been any indication of the postponement of the games. Nonetheless, the 2023 African Games Project Team, led by my hard-working and industrious Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that Ghana organises and hosts a memorable African Games, come 2023".