Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has defended plans to take a small percentage of athletes’ earnings to support Ghana’s proposed Sports Fund, saying the move will help grow sports and improve athletes’ careers.

His comments come after former Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif questioned the idea, arguing that many athletes earn little and cannot afford additional deductions. The President of the Ghana Weightlifting Federation, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has also expressed concern that the plan could place extra financial pressure on athletes.

Mr Adams, however, rejected these concerns in an interview with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai, insisting the proposal would benefit athletes in the long run.

“How can that be problematic? That they are asking that the work that you do, which the fund is going to enhance, as a result of the enhancements that will be coming, you must also continue to contribute,” he said.

He explained that the Sports Fund would focus on long-term development.

“What the sports fund is going to do is going to make sure that there will be data-driven decisions,” he said.

“It will invest in research. They will invest in technology. They will invest in innovation.”

According to the minister, these investments would add value to sports and help increase revenue for athletes and other stakeholders.

He also stressed that the proposed contribution would be small but would support major development projects.

“Contributing a little — not a major amount — will let you also appreciate what your country has done for you,” he said.

“The country builds the pitches you play on, provides infrastructure, and supports development.”

Mr Adams dismissed claims that athletes are opposed to the plan.

“I believe the sports people themselves are happy. Those talking don’t know what it is that they [athletes] go through,” he added.

He further said the system would receive approval from world football body FIFA and would be collected through existing structures used by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

“Well, how does FA get their percentage? Same medium will send it directly then? How the FA gets, government will use same medium to get the players to contribute,” he said.

“Is FIFA coming to build all the stadia that we use in this country?” he asked. “If we tell FIFA that this is how we want to develop our infrastructure and this is what our law provides, I don’t think they would refuse it.”

The Sports Fund bill which began about eight years ago, was passed in Parliament on Thursday, December 18, 2025, after it was submitted by Sports Minister Kofi Adams.