The chairman of the Central Planning Committee for Tour Du Ghana 2026, Hon. Kobby Mensah Woyome, has issued a direct appeal to corporate community and the media to rally behind the race, disclosing that the organising committee is currently working from a financial deficit as preparations continue for the November event.
Addressing the media on the state of the race finances, Woyome was candid about the shortfall confronting the planning committee, but insisted the gap must not be allowed to slow the race’s ambitions.
He described the deficit as a reality the committee must simply work within, even as it pursues growth for the event.
This event must be recognised as one event that must grow from strength to strength.” Hon. Kobby Mensah Woyome, Chairman, Central Planning Committee
The chairman framed the funding challenge as a shared burden rather than one for the committee alone to carry, calling on all parties involved in staging the race to treat its success as a joint undertaking.
He indicated that a number of prospective sponsors had already been identified and would be formally communicated to stakeholders in due course.
Woyome placed particular emphasis on the role of the media in securing the race’s financial footing, urging journalists and outlets covering the tour to use their reach to connect organisers with corporate Ghana.
He argued that media platforms carry the influence needed to bring potential sponsors to the table.
Central to his appeal was the position that sponsorship should not be mistaken for charity. Woyome described the arrangement organisers are offering to potential partners as mutually beneficial, with sponsors gaining a platform to market their brands in exchange for their backing of the race.
He framed this exchange as a model that could extend well beyond Tour Du Ghana, to other events undertaken by the Ghana Olympic Committee in partnership with member federations.
The chairman also addressed the broader question of funding sources for national sporting events, cautioning against an over-reliance on government support.
While acknowledging that appeals to government have their place, he argued that organisers, sponsors and the media working together could achieve outcomes independent of state assistance, provided there was genuine collaboration and goodwill across all sides.
Tour Du Ghana 2026 is scheduled to run from 9 to 23 November, featuring 11 stages across a competition distance of 1,406.4 kilometres, with 15 teams, 90 riders and 45 officials expected to take part. The Central Planning Committee, inaugurated on 3 September under the chairmanship of Woyome, oversees the race’s Finance, Logistics, Protocol and Security sub-committees.
