Basketballghana.com can confirm no representative from Ghana’s basketball sect was present for talks to divvy funds in a relief package for athletes in the West African nation.
The relief package is funded By the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and serves as a means to alleviate hardship on athletes who have been hard by the effects of the corona virus pandemic.
At the time of writing, Ghana has over 20,000 cases of infection with over 100 people reported dead due to the virus. Global infections have topped six million.
By failing to be part of the negotiation entourage of various sports associations, basketball players have missed out on a monthly package of 500 Ghana Cedis or $86.70 for the next six months.
Federations and Associations representing sports disciplines like Badminton, Football and track and field will benefit from the package. Para sports athletes have been included as beneficiaries of this package.
“One avenue that has been hit hard is the sports fraternity. As an agency mandated to provide job opportunities for the youth, we decided to support these athletes who are not getting anything in this period” YEA CEO Justin Kodua stated at the ceremony organized to sign and outdoor a Memorandum of Understanding.
Basketball in Ghana has been hampered by chronic financial challenges for years and this is a big opportunity missed to address some of those challenges; 1000 athletes in all get to benefit from the package.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
