The Minister-designate for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams has pledged to investigate the allocation of funds for the 13th African Games hosted in Ghana last year. He stated that it would be a disservice to Ghanaians if he did not address the concerns surrounding the spending, especially since numerous companies and service providers have complained about unpaid bills for their services.The 13th African Games (Accra 2023), held from March 8-24, 2024, had a significant budget of $245 million, covering infrastructure, operations, catering and other logistics. However, after the event, several volunteers and service providers reported they had not received payment for their work.Adams expressed that many businesses were suffering because of this issue and emphasised the need to ensure they were duly compensated. “If we do not address this and ensure accountability, we risk allowing people to spend funds without proper oversight,” he remarked.Regarding the Australian visa controversy, Mr Adams said the findings of the investigation would be reviewed and possibly made public if necessary. He stressed that Ghana must ensure such incidents were prevented, as they undermined the opportunities for genuine athletes to represent the country in international competitions. “We cannot allow Ghana to be used in ways that prevent legitimate athletes from competing and winning for the nation,” he said.To help Ghana excel in international competitions, the Minister-designate outlined plans to implement a performance tracker for sports federations ahead of international events. This initiative aims to restore Ghana’s integrity in the global sports arena while ensuring the country’s athletes were better prepared to win medals.Mr Adams also promised to transform the National Sports College in Winneba into a full-fledged university. This transformation would focus on training professional coaches across various disciplines and developing expertise in sports medicine and psychology. “We currently lack professional coaches in many disciplines, and often practitioners are placed in coaching roles. By elevating the college to university status, we can ensure comprehensive training and improve the overall standard of our sports sector,” he explained.He stressed the importance of viewing sports as a tool for development, with the National Sports College playing a critical role in that vision.