Ghanaian Sports Crisis: Veteran journalist Sadiq Adams slams systemic failures for the canker:
A scathing critique of the Ghanaian sports landscape was delivered by veteran sports journalist, Sadiq Adams, widely known as “Sports Obama,” during a recent appearance on Accra-based TV3.
Sadiq Adams, a seasoned sports journalist with years of experience covering the nation’s sporting scene, in his recent appearance on TV3, didn’t hold back in his assessment, contrasting the overlooked achievements of the Paralympic team with the consistent failures of the national football team, the Black Stars.
Adams began by highlighting the glaring disparity in recognition between the two teams. “Paralympic Games, no impact at all, literally forgotten,” he stated, lamenting that the Paralympics, despite being “the shining light in Ghana sports,” receive minimal attention.
He pointed to their consistent success, including winning the African championship in 2023 and the African Paralympic football title in 2024, and argued that they deserved to be named “national team of the year.” He emphasized, “The highlights on the national team of the year should be the Paralympic team, which we normally don’t give them.”
He further criticized the government’s historical neglect of the team, citing the incident where they had to stage a protest to receive a promised reward of $10,000. This incident, Adams suggested, underscored a system that undervalued the exceptional achievements of its para-athletes, only offering help when a political figure was willing to step in.
Turning his attention to the struggling Black Stars, Adams expressed deep pessimism about their future prospects. He cited the team’s failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a major concern and expressed a lack of confidence in their performance in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. “We are not in charge, not going to qualify for the AFCON,” he said, adding, “I think that I cannot be hopeful if we are still going to go by the same structure and system in place.”
Adams asserted that the nation needed a complete overhaul of its sports structures, using the metaphor, “removing the trees that are falling on trees,” to convey the depth of the problems. He criticized the fact that the same technical team responsible for recent failures was slated to lead the Black Stars in the World Cup qualifiers. “Nothing will change significantly if we do not make these changes before we enter the new year,” he stressed.
While expressing a sliver of hope for the new administration, especially the Ministry of Sports, Adams cautioned that real progress would require fundamental changes and effective implementation.
He ended his commentary by noting the embarrassing fact that Ghana was recently banned from playing home matches, calling on the National Sports Authority (NSA) to effect meaningful change in the coming year.
Adams’ commentary on TV3 painted a picture of a deeply troubled system where exceptional athletes are overlooked and the national football team continues to struggle despite a history of success.
