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Minister Blasts 'Lazy' Sports Federations

Mahama Ayariga has lashed out at the various national sports federations for their retarded growth in the country.

Youth and Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga has lambasted the various national sports federations for their retarded growth in the country.

The Minister said the approach of federations tagged as least-financed sports to their own activities had been the major cause of their woes.

He accused them of various wrongdoings such as not being proactive, engaging in visa racketeering, and late budget submissions.

“The various federations don’t engage us. They submit their budgets at the eleventh hour and when that happens, it makes it difficult to approve such budgets.

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“There are some who fail to make themselves accountable. Others engage in various kinds of visa racketeering,” the Minister said in response to his outfit’s lack of attention to the least-financed sports.

His remarks however attracted the reaction of some federation presidents.

To the president of the Ghana Cycling Federation Saanun Mohammed, the Minister’s argument lacked evidence and should be treated with contempt.

He took offense at the visa racketeering allegation saying, “No federation can single handedly engage in visa racketeering, it takes two to tango.

“Some people within (Sports Ministry) might be responsible for the issuance of letters to the embassies. We want the Minister to come clear on that and expose those who engage in the visa racketeering business. You can’t do that in Cycling because they know I am principled.

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“Every year we submit our budget, it receives approval, but we get the usual no-money response. We have to go through layers of lies on why we can’t receive the approved budget.”

Ghana Weightlifting Federation president Ben Nonoo-Mensah, in similar vein, expressed shock at Hon Ayariga’s allegations, stressing that the Minister might have been misinformed by some insiders, hence his conclusion.

Source: Daily Guide

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