Ghana’s athletes who represent the nation on the world stage are being failed by the very system meant to support them. That is the stark message from the Minority Caucus in Parliament, delivered in a strongly worded press statement by Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports.
Citing disturbing reports from members of Team Ghana at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and a public statement from the Black Queens, Assafuah accused the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the government of a “troubling pattern of administrative failure, financial uncertainty and disregard for the welfare of Ghanaian athletes.”
According to the accounts, airline tickets for the Glasgow contingent were issued late, lacked luggage allowance, or could not be located at all. Some athletes and officials were forced to abandon flights, return home, or make their own way by train or bus. Competition kits arrived so late that some athletes only received them after their events had finished. Others resorted to private sponsorship or personal funds to secure the equipment needed to compete for Ghana.
Athletes reportedly left for Glasgow without knowing the amount of their per diems or medal bonuses. Despite Glasgow’s well-known wet weather, raincoats were not provided—an omission that particularly affected outdoor competitors in athletics and para athletics.
Supervision was also uneven: roughly 90 per cent of officials stayed at the Moxy Hotel while athletes were housed elsewhere, leaving many without adequate support.
One of the most serious allegations involves a para athlete who was checked out of his hotel mere hours after competing, still unpaid his per diem, and taken to the airport at 5:55 a.m. for a flight that did not depart until 3:00 p.m.
Assafuah described this, if confirmed, as an “unacceptable disregard for the dignity and welfare” of an athlete who had sacrificed to represent the country.
These problems are not isolated. The Black Queens have publicly complained about unpaid bonuses linked to Egypt 2025, WAFCON qualification and group-stage performances, as well as outstanding per diems. The players have also called for better management, mental health support and overall improved welfare.
“This is no longer an isolated complaint,” Assafuah stated. “It points to a potentially systemic failure in the government’s management of our national athletes.”
The Ranking Member issued six clear demands:
- A full public explanation from the Ministry of the ticketing, accommodation, equipment and welfare arrangements for Team Ghana in Glasgow.
- Immediate payment of all outstanding per diems, bonuses and other entitlements to both the Commonwealth Games athletes and the Black Queens.
- Disclosure of the approved budget for Ghana’s participation, broken down by travel, accommodation, kits, officials, per diems and medal bonuses.
- An independent investigation into the treatment of the para athlete and all other reported cases of neglect.
- A formal briefing to Parliament by the Minister for Sports and Recreation.
- The creation of a clear, comprehensive athlete welfare protocol covering travel, accommodation, equipment, supervision, medical care, mental health support and financial entitlements for every national assignment.
Assafuah closed with a pointed reminder: “Our athletes are not an afterthought. They are citizens who sacrifice their bodies, careers and personal comfort to carry Ghana’s flag before the world. They deserve preparation, protection, transparency and respect.”
He warned that the government cannot continue to celebrate medals and national glory while neglecting the people whose sacrifices make those achievements possible. Accountability, he insisted, must be immediate, and every outstanding commitment to Ghana’s athletes must be honoured without further delay.
The statement places significant pressure on the Ministry of Sports and Recreation to respond swiftly and transparently. How the government answers these allegations will determine whether Ghana’s athletes finally receive the dignity and support they have long been promised—or whether the pattern of neglect continues.
