The President of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF), Frederick Otu Lartey, has issued a strong call for innovation and unity among executives as the sport grapples with mounting financial and structural challenges.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the Federation’s Leadership Retreat, Mr Lartey acknowledged funding constraints as a major obstacle but challenged members to rethink their approach to sustainability. He urged the leadership to explore creative avenues for mobilising resources capable of sustaining and expanding the sport.
“Financial constraints remain a challenge, but we must not be discouraged,” he stressed, framing innovation as the Federation’s most critical tool in navigating the current landscape.
The GTF president also underlined the importance of collective effort, insisting that collaboration would be central to building a more resilient and competitive organisation.
Despite the difficulties, he commended the Federation for its continued support of athletes who represented Ghana on the international stage last year, an achievement he described as a foundation to build upon.
Looking ahead, Mr Lartey struck an optimistic tone, pointing to a calendar of opportunities that could redefine the sport’s trajectory if properly leveraged. A major highlight, he revealed, was Ghana’s hosting of a World Taekwondo Coaching Course later this year, a development he described as an important boost for technical capacity and long-term growth.
He also turned attention to the Federation’s upcoming elections, urging stakeholders to prioritise unity over division.
“Later this year, the Federation will conduct elections to elect new executives. I urge you to approach this with a spirit of unity so we can continue to strengthen the Federation,” he said.
Adding weight to the conversation, the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Richard Akpokavie, challenged the Federation to adopt more structured, commercially viable models to attract sponsorship. He pointed to the Ghana Football Association as a benchmark, urging the taekwondo leadership to embrace systems that drive commercial confidence and investor interest.
Mr Akpokavie further cautioned against leadership driven by personal gain, insisting that passion and commitment to athlete development must remain the core motivation.
As the retreat continues, stakeholders are expected to deliberate on concrete strategies to reposition Ghana Taekwondo for sustainable growth, with a renewed focus on resource mobilisation, technical development, and unified governance.
