This is a continuation of a piece we carried yesterday.
In order to achieve its objects, the Sports Authority is expected, inter alia, to facilitate the organisation of national games; provide financial and other assistance to a team or person for the purpose of enabling that team or person to represent the Republic in international competitions in or outside the Republic; and to ensure the development, establishment and management of public sporting facilities in the country.
The National Sports Authority is also required to encourage private sector participation in the development and management of sports facilities in the country; provide assistance to sporting associations that the Authority considers necessary; promote, encourage and secure the adoption of policies of gender equity, equal opportunity and access to sports, child protection in sports and drug-free sports; and undertake research and development related to sports.
The other aspect of the functions of the National Sports Authority is for those areas that they have to collaborate with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure or regulate such tasks as the provision of necessary facilities required for building national teams; the provision of funds for the purpose of managing national teams; the submission of proposals on matters relating to the development and maintenance of national teams; transparency and accountability in the development and management of national teams; and to ensure that all moneys received by way of sponsorship, gifts and any other benefits for national teams are properly accounted for.
I have, for the purposes of emphasis, highlighted portions of the functions of the National Sports Authority above, so as to lay to rest some of the lingering points of litigations that have been bedevilling our sports landscape for the past decades, such as the management of national teams; rights and responsibilities of the Ministry, the Sports Authority, and or the Federations or Associations; especially as they relate to transparency and accountability of funds available to the managers of the national teams; and particularly concerning sponsorship, gifts and any other benefits for the national teams.
Some of the highlights also have been to draw attention to the financial relationship between the Authority, Clubs, Associations and Federations: the key word is ‘ASSISTANCE’, where it deals with the act of assisting; help; aid; and support; and not to provide or fund wholly the annual budget of a club, association and or federation.
Even where the proposed National Sport Fund becomes operational, it will still be on the basis of ‘complementary’ fund to Federation or Association.
By Magnus Rex Danquah