President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) Ben Nunoo Mensah has announced that he will not contest the April elections despite calls from several federations and individuals to do so.
“I wish to confirm that while it would have been an honour to continue serving my nation and the sports community in this capacity, there is a greater call to serve humanity in different and equally fulfilling way,” he stated on Wednesday, March 26.
“I accordingly want to move on and will not contest in the upcoming GOC elections,” he emphasised in a statement.
GOC elections are due in April and the current President is eligible to contest a final four-year tenure after his re-election in 2021.
But Mr Nunoo Mensah says he appreciates the support and confidence reposed in him but “there comes a time when one must move on, and for me that time is now”.
He expressed gratitude to various Presidents he has worked under, ministers of state and heads of the National Sports Authority (NSA) he has worked with in his eight-year tenure.
“I am especially grateful to the Federation Presidents, my colleagues on the GOC Board, sponsors, the media, and all my friends whose unwavering support, prayers and goodwill have made a significant difference throughout my journey – from my early days at AURORAS, through my involvement in Cricket and Weightlifting, to my tenure at the GOC.”
He took pride in Ghana’s first Olympic medal in 30 years at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where boxer Samuel Takyi won Bronze for Ghana.
He also mentioned in his statement a number of feats chalked under this tenure.
“Together, we have accomplished remarkable milestones, including securing an additional six acres of land at Amasaman to complement the existing ten acres, obtaining the title deed, and transforming the site into a Community Sports Centre that now hosts two home-based football academies.
“Additionally, we succeeded in naming the GOC headquarters building, “Olympic House”, refurbishing and furnishing the office, increasing awareness and visibility for lesser-funded sports, providing consistent financial support to the various National Federations and athletes, and creating unprecedented capacity-building and travel opportunities for a lot of sports administrators and media professionals to cover and be part of international games.”
