The Minister for Energy and Renewable Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has donated GH₵50,000 to the more than 200 athletes and their instructors who were stranded at Buipe and could not travel on time to Sekondi to participate in this year’s sports festival.
JoyNews crew visited their camp at the Buipe Technical Senior High School and confirmed the donation.
There were visible signs of excitement on the faces of both athletes and instructors, who have since moved and are currently in Sekondi in readiness for the opening ceremony Monday afternoon.
JoyNews’ sources in Buipe say the District Chief Executive of Central Gonja, Mahama Fuseini, on behalf of the Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, John Jinapor, presented the amount in cash to the Savannah Regional Physical Education Coordinator.
During his presentation, the DCE indicated to the athletes that “Your future is more important than the politics that we’re talking about today. We’re leading because of you. Your future can be brighter than any of us here. So, when you have a problem, we politicians have to solve it.”
Read: Over 200 SHS Athletes stranded in Buipe ahead of National sports festival due to lack of funds
Meanwhile, the gift was made possible after MyJoyOnline broke the story about the plight of the athletes, following several appeals made to some public and private organisations, including all seven MPs, DCEs, and government appointees in the region.
JoyNews sources within the group, which left with three buses, said there is still a deficit of GH₵100,000 outstanding, making their full participation and return relatively uncertain.
An indigenous sports journalist in Damongo, Abdulai Zulkaninu, has voiced his frustration and disappointment over the development.
He added that the more embarrassing aspect was that it took a media report (MyJoyOnline) for authorities to act.
“Little funding for sports in the Savannah Region is a matter of deep concern and disappointment. For two years, athletes from the region continued to train under difficult conditions — they were left stranded without the basic financial support needed to participate in competitions and represent the region with pride,” he complained.
“What makes the situation even more troubling is that it took a media report for authorities to act. Only after a journalist highlighted their plight did a GH₵50,000 intervention suddenly appear,” he insisted.