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Mr Richard Kofi Akpokavie won the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) presidential race emphatically, reaffirming the delegates’ faith in him at last Saturday’s poll.
Overall, Mr Akpokavie received 44 out of 63 votes, or 70% of the total vote cast, a stunning triumph in a keenly contested presidential race. Without a doubt, Mr Akpokavie’s appeal to the various federations was quite strong, and many had tipped him to lead affairs, especially after falling short by seven votes in the previous election.
His campaign message was clearly the most appealing, and he made significant advances, particularly with the concept of advocating athletes’ welfare and promoting unity. However, Mr Akpokavie faces a daunting task especially as Ghana quests for sporting success, particularly on the global arena and the actions or inactions of the new GOC leadership would determine whether this ambition is realized.
Athletes’ Welfare
One subject that dominated Akpokavie’s messaging prior to the election was athlete welfare, which the adept sports administrator has re-emphasized following his victory.
Mr Akpokavie’s experience as a sportsman has never been in doubt, especially having represented Ghana at various international hockey tournaments in the past. In an interview, Mr Akpokavie reiterated his love for sports, which included hockey, football, cricket, volleyball and many others.
The newly elected GOC President believes that sports help shape people’s lives by keeping them disciplined, competitive, and hard-working. He stated that he was ready to offer athletes a voice in his administration because they were the foundation of their existence as a local Olympic body.
“One of my topical issues as I take office will be athlete empowerment. We need to take the welfare of athletes very seriously and give them a voice in the organisation. “Athletes’ voices must be heard at Congress and the executive board because we are here because of them,” he said.
Uniting federations
The factions in Ghanaian sports federations is an open secret, and this has undoubtedly resulted in unhealthy rivalries that have hampered the sport’s progress.
Prior to the elections, one of Mr Akpokavie’s main campaign pledges was to bring together all national sporting associations.
Following his triumph, Mr Akpokavie emphasised the need to bring all federations together to work towards a common objective of succeeding in sports.
“It is important that we understand that we are a team, and everybody has a role to play because everyone has a unique strength. It is either we succeed or sink together.
“I have my ideas, but we have to make sure that other members buy into the idea. We have to develop a strategic plan for the GOC with inputs from all the associations and federations,” he said.
Dispute Resolution
Being the head of the GOC may be one of the most difficult roles, since you are expected to coordinate activity across more than 50 sporting disciplines.
Ghanaian sports, particularly the ‘least financed ones’, have been plagued by a slew of court lawsuits that have stymied the advancement of several sporting disciplines.
Many sporting federations spend more time in court than on game development, leaving athletes stranded. Mr Akpokavie emphasised the need to build an internal structure that would ensure disputes among various federations are resolved.
“Working as a team or unit is therefore crucial to our success. We have too many disputes that are hindering progress and unity. There are several court actions involving federations, and we can’t progress along this path.
“Most jurisdictions provide for a sports tribunal arbitration panel to resolve sporting disputes, and one of the things we have to do is to get every federation to make provision for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism in its constitution.”
He added that the GOC would provide an ADR system so that dissatisfied persons from the federations can appeal to the GOC for redress. Mr Akpokavie further stated the need for a deliberate effort to move sporting issues from the traditional court system.
In summary, Mr Akpokavie’s quest to make the GOC a focal point for sports development has begun, and athletes would certainly be the beneficiaries of his leadership, as well as federations being empowered to be successful.
Source: GNA
