President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah has lamented negative branding of Ghana Sports by some journalists which scares away sponsors.
He noted that funds are lacking in promoting sports in Ghana, and yet what will make us get the funds, ”we are not doing it”.
He made the comments while addressing media attaches, whom he described as special members of the Olympic family on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at the Olympic House in Accra.
According to the GOC President, some people are only interested in pushing agenda that will only court negative publicity for our sports.
He expressed that when there is money in sports, the first beneficiaries would be the athletes, and the second beneficiaries would be the media, so the media should not join those destroying the industry that feeds them.
”Why are not doing or saying good things about the industry that makes us who we are? Why are we intent on only agenda setting destroying individuals when we can use the platform to say good things or talk about the 95% good things about our sports to make it attractive.
We are destroying our own industry. The era of negative branding of our sports must stop,” he stated.
He cautioned the media to avoid people who would want to use them to destroy and defame others.
Mr. Nunoo-Mensah said he is not asking the media not to talk when people do the wrong things, but the approach should be positive, not to destroy the industry.
According to him, the recent GOC Elections has proved that Ghanaians do not believe in lies, but in records and achievements.
”That alone should tell us that the era where we think that to come into the spotlight for a position is to destroy people and the sports are gone. I am pleading with you. We need you. The young boys and girls doing sports in Ghana need you,” he added.
He promised to organize more capacity building courses for the media with the backing of the federations.
First Vice President of the GOC Mr. Paul Atchoe who doubles as President of the Volleyball Federation supported developing sports in Ghana requires the role of the media.
He stated that the media is the entry point for sports development in Ghana.
”We need you far more than you need us. There is no Federation operating in Ghana that does not need the media. So I want to urge you to continue supporting us,” he pleaded.
Present were Mr. Isaac Duah, Deputy Treasurer and President of Ghana Tennis Federation and Mr. Albert Frimpong, an executive board member and President of Ghana Baseball and Skate Soccer.
The 25 media attaches who attended the briefing were feted by Papaye Fast Food and Twellium Industrial Ltd, producers of Verna Water and Rush Energy Drink.
By Sammy Heywood Okine