Adopt double track system in sports financing – GAF tells govt

Vice President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), Mr Kofi Addo-Agyekum has called on the government to adopt the now famous ‘Double Track System’ (DTS) in sports financing.

He said the approach when adopted would allow each sports federation have their fair of the national cake in relation to sports.

He explained that the Ministry of Youth and Sports must adopt the government's DTS where opportunity is given to the hitherto neglected sports federations through basic funding to assist them to develop and promote other sports through either the proposed categorization of federations or a system to identify hardworking federations and offer financial support. This support for federations can be rotational.

He noted that if that is adopted all federations could benefit from the sports budget in the next year or two rather than the current situation where federations do not advance and grow because almost Ghana's sports budget in the last 10yrs is expended on football.

Mr Addo Agyekum als known as KofiKrom gave this suggestion when members of the K-Balm Armwrestling Club paid a courtesy call on him to present their medals won at the recently held Africa Armwrestling Championship in Ghana.

He said he believes armwrestling could be the trailblazer for the least financed sport and also pull the federations along for Ghanaians to be the ultimate beneficiaries.

He assured the media and the general public that armwrestling has come to stay and they as management of the sport would continue with their developmental agenda.

He congratulated the athletes and urged them not to give up but rather continue to work hard so as to excel in their chosen sport and also presented cash awards to the athletes for excelling in the Africa Championship.

Kofi Addo Agyekum reiterated on the need for athletes to avoid alcohol, desist from bad diet, anger, overstretching and daydreaming.

He also appealed to them to be each other’s keeper and be united as a team and desist from being jealous and other negative attitudes that will mar the progress made by management of the team.

The K-Balm Armwrestling Club which was formed early this year is a member of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation.