The profile gives an overview of the changing trends of sport policies adopted in Ghana and highlights how past political upheavals made it difficult to have stable sport development strategies. Currently, the emergence of different actors within the sport policy sub-system of Ghana is apparent however the reliance on government for the development of sport makes it difficult to decouple party politics from sport development strategy. The profile begins with a detailed account of the emergence of sport from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial traditions in the history of Ghana. This is followed by an analysis of the current structure of sport and funding patterns and trends. The dominance of football and contemporary issues such as migration, gender equality and disability are also discussed in terms of their impact on policy. The final part highlights the nascent ‘sport for development’ sector in relation to the United Nation’s MDGs and SDGs and how they have influenced sport policy and development in Ghana.
Dating back to antiquity, sport in the form of physical activity has been linked to recreation, security, survival and other cultural practices (Cozens and Stumpf Citation1947, Dunlap Citation1951, Kyle Citation2007). Ghana is no exception and this profile provides an insight into sport (in a form of physical activity, games and play) prior to the advent of the European influence in the 15th century (Ocansey et al. Citation2013). The Ghanaian physical culture in the bygone ages was part of the socialisation process and core to the traditions of the tribes located in various parts of present-day Ghana (Busia Citation1964). Geographical location (coastal, arable and pastoral areas), security and occupation to some extent determined the kind of physical activity of the tribes (Asare Citation1982). For instance, young men were trained to defend and secure their tribal territories. Also, young people whose parents were fishermen were taught swimming, canoeing and diving; hunters were taught hunting; and farmers were taught farming. Various games, dependent on one’s tribe, including wrestling, foot racing, bow and arrow and spear throwing (target games), canoeing and swimming, were keenly contested among men during off-seasons and period of low business activity. Cultural activities such as drumming, dancing and singing during special occasions such as festivals and warriors contest (like wrestling) were also indicative of the physical culture of the indigenous people. According to Asare (Citation1982, p. 55) such ‘… activities had not only social and cultural value, but also influenced the moral and political stability of the society at the time’. A sense of tribalistic ideals (nationalism) was enforced so that the young boys were taught to be proud tribesmen, physically strong and familiar with native lore (Watkins Citation1943). Women and girls during these periods (from most tribes) were not considered for the rigorous physical culture traditions but were active in certain traditional and recreational games that require less-physical demands such as ‘ampe’, ‘kantata’, ‘oware’, ‘pempenaa’, ‘pilolo’, ‘sabala’, ‘sansankroma’ and ‘tumatu’ (mostly among southern tribes) to mention a few (Asare Citation1982). Of these games, ‘ampe’ and ‘oware’ remains digemari banyak orang till date in most tribes in Ghana and neighbouring West African countries. ‘Ampe’ is a female game, requires no equipment and can be an individual or team game depending on the number of people present. ‘Ampe’ involves facing your opponent(s), jumping while clapping rhythmically and then scoring a point with feet extended (after each jump) in the opposite or same direction of the opponent. ‘Oware’ extends beyond the borders of Africa to the Caribbean due to the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to 19th century (Stoffle and Baro Citation2016). It is a board game, played by both sexes/opposing pairs and it uses strategies meant to hone critical thinking. While there were no written/formal strategies or policies to guide the activities of the indigenous people, the informal traditional education (passed orally) of men and women valorises family and community interests above self-interest (Busia Citation1964). This sense of community ensured that the physical culture was tailored to the core tribal values which were security, economy and health.