The government is mulling a novel policy direction which could result in corporate bodies pre-financing and owning rights to some matches involving the Black Stars, as the Ministry of Youth and Sports seeks new ways to take care of the senior national team’s huge financial burden.
The Youth and Sports Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, explained to the Graphic Sports that a key talking point during the ongoing discussions on the sports budget for next year, is funding for the Stars, with a proposal to get corporate bodies to acquire rights for the team’s matches being strongly considered.
He noted the difficulty with which the government had shouldered the burden of financing the Stars and the search for other options to spread the financial load, as well as fully exploit other commercial rights of the team going into the future.
“We’re still discussing our budget and different ideas are coming through for financing sports, and in particular the Black Stars, which consume the biggest portion of the sports budget.
“However, the proposal that is being considered seriously is one to get corporate bodies to buy rights of GFA matches, among others, so that there will be ready money for sports development,” Nii Lante Vanderpuye said.
He explained that the proposal was being considered and discussed by various stakeholders for their inputs and general acceptance.
The minister noted that he was not oblivious of the role the GFA would have to play in such a policy and that in due courses he would lay it before the football regulatory body for its input and buy-in.
“We are in discussions and working out details and looking at legal ramifications and options of such a plan.
“Depending on what is agreed on, we’ll look at various stakeholders, including the GFA, for their inputs as we go forward. Where we have to write to CAF for further clarification, we’ll do that because we are aware CAF has ceded some rights to other partners or agencies”, the minister said.
He was optimistic that after various stakeholder engagements, a good funding structure would be arrived at to relieve government solely funding the national teams and also make money readily available for sports development.
“We’re are looking at many options, including setting up a dedicated sports fund with proceeds from lotteries without always drawing from the consolidated fund.
“For instance, to acquire TV rights for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations alone, CAF is demanding $2million but that is too much money for government alone to cough up, so when there’s an arrangement to get other corporate involvement, it should be welcome news.”
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