The Acting Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) and a Board Member of the Ghana Sports Fund, Yaw Ampofo-Ankrah, has said the Fund could significantly transform sports development in Ghana over the next five to ten years if properly managed and supported.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, May 22, Mr Ampofo-Ankrah outlined an ambitious vision for the country’s sporting sector, stressing that reliable funding, improved infrastructure and long-term planning would be key to progress.

Responding to a question on what Ghana’s sports landscape could look like within the next decade under the Sports Fund, he said stable financing would enable major investments in infrastructure, talent development and technical expertise.

“The dream of all, I mean, when funding is available, then you can confidently say I want to build a multi-purpose sports stadium, I want to camp a hundred boys and girls for the next five years,” he said.

“I want to train the best coaches and send them out to the best centres around the world to build capacity,” he added.

According to him, the next decade could mark a turning point for Ghanaian sports if lessons from the past are properly applied.

“The next five years, the next decade is going to be exciting. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the lessons of the past have been learned so we don’t repeat those mistakes,” he said.

He noted that inadequate infrastructure remains a major challenge, particularly in the face of Ghana’s growing youth population and increasing demand for sports facilities.

“One of the key things that we’ve discovered is that infrastructure is not enough to sustain the demand for sports and the growing youth in Ghana,” he said.

Mr Ampofo-Ankrah praised efforts he attributed to President John Dramani Mahama aimed at expanding sports infrastructure and increasing community involvement.

“That is why there’s a process which has been started by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the big push,” he stated.

He explained that modern sports development now goes beyond competition, incorporating entertainment, tourism and community engagement.

“In recent times, when we have sporting events, there’s a lot of entertainment and community gathering,” he said.

The NSA boss noted that sports tourism in Ghana is already gaining traction and is expected to grow further in the coming years.

“Sports tourism has been huge. It’s going to get better,” he said.

He added that several international sports personalities have recently visited Ghana, boosting the country’s global sporting profile.

“In the last 12 months, the likes of Amir Khan and Anthony Joshua in boxing have all passed through here,” he said.

Mr Ampofo-Ankrah also highlighted growing engagement with global basketball figures through diaspora-related initiatives.

He stressed the need for Ghana to focus on building sustainable systems rather than limiting discussions to policy announcements.

“We need to make sure this is not just talk on paper, but it is sustainable,” he said.

He expressed confidence that Ghana could one day host major international sporting competitions if the right infrastructure and technical expertise are in place.

“Ghana should be able to rub shoulders with other countries and be hosting major tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations, youth tournaments, and even junior World Cup tournaments,” he said.

He cited Egypt’s successful hosting of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup as an example of what African countries can achieve with proper preparation and investment.

He added that without the necessary expertise and infrastructure, however, such ambitions would remain unattainable.