Ghana Olympic Committee schedules Elective Congress for April 26

The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has announced that its elective congress to select new executives for a four-year term will be held on April 26, 2025.

The decision was reached during an extraordinary congress held last Saturday at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Pitch in Accra.

The date was proposed by Bawa Fuseini, President of Ghana Athletics, and seconded by Kamal Sulley, Vice President of the Ghana Rowing and Canoeing Federation. Initially, some executives, including GOC President Ben Nunoo Mensah, supported an earlier date of April 12, citing the need to finalise the GOC’s accounts before the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) elective congress in March.

However, GOC presidential hopeful and former president Professor Francis Dodoo argued for an even earlier date of March 1 to ensure that a substantive president could attend the ANOCA congress. His proposal was met with resistance from some delegates and the GOC General Secretary, who pointed to the GOC constitution, which mandates that new executives be elected no later than April 30.

Following deliberations, Bawa Fuseini amended his initial proposal of April 19 to April 26, which was subsequently approved.

The extraordinary congress also tackled a dispute over delegate representation and membership between the Ghana Rugby Association and the Ghana Table Tennis Association.

In addition, the congress aimed to verify and register members, form a quorum, and accept new affiliates. However, membership applications from seven new sporting disciplines, including wrestling, alpine skiing, and e-sports, were rejected due to unfulfilled protocols.

The leadership of these disciplines expressed surprise, stating they were only informed of the procedural gaps on the day of the congress.

Delegates raised concerns about the delay and tasked the GOC leadership with ensuring the affected disciplines complete their protocols in time to join the organisation.

The congress resolved to hold a virtual extraordinary meeting before the April 26 elective congress to address outstanding issues.

The upcoming elective congress is expected to bring together various stakeholders to determine the leadership that will guide the GOC for the next four years, ensuring the continued development of sports in Ghana.