The revived Ghana Olympic Athletes’ Commission (GOAC) has issued a strong call for all national sports federations to establish Athletes’ Commissions, insisting that meaningful athlete representation is essential to improving welfare, career transition and decision-making across Ghanaian sport.
The appeal was made at the GOAC 2026 Forum, a one-day workshop held last Saturday at the GNAT Hall in Accra on the theme “Strengthening Athletes’ Representation and Welfare in Ghanaian Sports.”
The forum drew athletes from a wide range of disciplines and was attended by Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) President, Richard Akpokavie, and former head of the country’s Olympic movement, Prof. Francis Dodoo.
Modelled on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission, the GOAC was first established in 2016 but became inactive a year later after the previous GOC administration declined to grant it voting rights.
Its fortunes changed under the current GOC leadership, with Mr Akpokavie, himself a former national hockey player, restoring the commission upon assuming office last year and granting it representation on the GOC board.
New leadership
Elections were subsequently held on October 4, 2025, formally relaunching the body and ushering in a new eight-member executive. The leadership is headed by Rio 2016 javelin Olympian John Ampomah as Chairman, with swimmer Abeku Jackson as Vice-Chairman.
Sprinter Gemma Acheampong serves as General Secretary, assisted by 200m and 400m runner Emmanuel Dasor. Discussions at the forum focused on the history, mandate and role of the GOAC within the GOC, as well as the critical importance of federation-level Athletes’ Commissions in national sports development.
Participants were guided through the processes for establishing such bodies, eligibility and nomination procedures to the GOAC Federation Representation Council, and took part in a panel discussion examining challenges and growth opportunities for federation Athletes’ Commissions.
GOAC Chairman Ampomah expressed delight at the turnout, describing it as a positive signal of growing athlete engagement, an area he admitted had previously been a major challenge.
Accountability
Guest speaker Prof. Dodoo, a former elite athlete and newly appointed Chairman of the Ghana Anti-Doping Agency (GADA), challenged athletes to hold their federation leadership accountable, stressing that it was the responsibility of federations -— not the GOC —- to secure funding and manage their affairs.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh