Sports Is Big Business And Serving On GOC Board Comes With Obligations – Herbert Mensah

Seasoned sports administrator, Herbert Mensah has jogged the memory of those vying for various positions on the Ghana Olympic Committee that serving on the committee comes with obligations of which they must be ready and willing to go in accordance.

The Ghana Olympic Committee elects new executives today, March 15, 2021, with the incumbent President Ben Nunoo Mensah contesting for another term in office.

Many believe this time around, the elections will be keenly contested, unlike previous elections where the competition wasn’t competitive enough.

But the President and Board Chairman of the Ghana Rugby Football Union, Herbert Mensah who was expected to contest for a position in the ongoing elections but didn’t believe sports is a big business which the contestants for the GOC elections must have in mind and must know that serving on the Committee comes with huge obligations.

” The issue is very clear here, we have a divided GOC, we have two fashions in the same political party varying for positions, I served on a board which was dysfunctional, because today those who are standing are all aligned in one section against another section, most of them who are standing now, Richard Akapovie, Mawuku, Charles, Evans, Rev Quarcooe, all served on the previous Board and now I see them actually standing again.”

” I don’t know if whether they were against the things that were going on before but maybe that is the reason the Board never function the way it should have which is what makes this election so momentous and significant.

He continued that, “Ben [Ben Nunoo] decided later in the day to stand again, he wasn’t decided as at last year, whether to stand or not. I have been preview to speak to people on both sides to hear what it is they propose…. I have one message for both of them, Sports is a vacation that everybody has an opinion, I learned that from my days at Kumasi Asante Kotoko and other sporting endeavors I have been involved in different parts of the world, everybody has an opinion”

” And I have always try to say to people to understand that you are not a fan or a Journalist, both of them have very important opinions, but the issue of running sports is quite a different issue here, because it ultimately about money, sports is a big business and your ability to connect with capital, with government, and with decision-makers is critical if you are going to fell the dreams of all those involved and I say despite the fact of the background of both groups in different ways, you should find ways to connect with the government and us very important to those involved in both side.”

The former Asante Kotoko Chairman added that Frederick Acheampong who is contesting for a position as a treasurer has the vote and backing of the Ghana Rugby Football Union.

” Secondly am massively excited about the inclusion of football, my young prodigy at one point, Fred Acheampong is on board, Kurt Okraku and GFA have come on board to help the GOC, I think that hugely important.

” We understand that the politics of sports is football and for them to understand that there are many other sports and can be working together is important for the GOC,

” Am sorry for those who are standing against Fred Acheampong, but naturally our vote at Ghana Rugby will be going in that direction..

” We really going to look at that, there are been a lot of pluses and minors but at the end of the day, those are the two big factors I look at, to be elected into the Board of the GOC and not to be able to contribute anything apart from common sense makes no sense to me, to be involved in fashions that says you were part of something, therefore, I don’t want to talk to you, again makes no sense, the leadership of the GOC needs to come in all block, there is no point in Richard becoming President and the other executive coming from other camps, there is no point in Ben retaining the Presidency and not having the Administrative control of the GOC, that is the hard reality.”