The Swim Stakeholders Connect held a formal press conference at the Accra City Hotel on Friday, presenting what they described as documented evidence of governance and integrity failures within the Ghana Swimming Association (GSA) between April 2025 and May 2026.
The group, comprising coaches, athletes and parents of swimmers both in Ghana and abroad, said it came together out of concern for the welfare and fair representation of Ghanaian swimmers, who they say have been directly affected by the GSA’s leadership crisis.
According to the stakeholders, the erstwhile GSA executive board has continued to administer the sport since June 2025, despite its constitutional mandate having expired. They allege this constitutes a breach of the GSA’s own constitution.
The evidence presented included:
- Failure to present audited financial accounts to stakeholders and the National Sports Authority (NSA) despite repeated requests
- Failure to convene a General Assembly-approved electoral congress within its constitutional term
- Alleged unilateral extension of its tenure
- Failure to hold annual congresses for four consecutive years
Contested Actions After NSA Withdrawal:
In January 2026, the NSA formally withdrew recognition from the GSA executive, barring it from governing aquatic sports in Ghana and from representing the country at World Aquatics and other competitions.
Despite this, the stakeholders said the former executive selected and accompanied swimmers to the African Aquatics Championship in Algeria in May 2026, and held a virtual elective congress on May 2, 2026. They allege this was in contempt of an Accra High Court interim injunction issued on April 29, 2026, restraining the congress.
Following the NSA’s withdrawal, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation set up a five-member independent committee, chaired by the NSA Chairman, to oversee fresh elections. The GSA President and her representatives declined to endorse the committee’s decisions and withdrew from the process.
The Ministry has since stated it does not recognize the May 2 virtual congress. The stakeholders noted that World Aquatics continues to recognize the GSA as Ghana’s sole federation and called on the global body to engage directly with the evidence presented.
Stakeholders’ Demands
“We are not here to wage a campaign against individuals. We are here because the law, the constitution, and the welfare of Ghana’s swimmers demand that governance in this sport be restored to legitimate, accountable, and transparent hands,” a spokesperson for the Swim Stakeholders said.
The group is calling on the Ministry of Sports and Recreation to:
- Enforce the agreement reached with stakeholders and implement the five-member committee’s decisions in full
- Ensure free, fair and constitutionally compliant elections are conducted by the Electoral Commission of Ghana
- Establish an Interim Management Committee to address accountability and governance issues and to oversee the electoral process
Athletes and Coaches Speak Out
Ghana’s top swimmer Abeiku Jackson, speaking on behalf of the athletes, said the governance dispute was costing swimmers international opportunities.
“For years, our swimmers have trained before sunrise, balanced school and work, and carried the national flag with pride across Africa and beyond,” Jackson said. “When the leadership of the Ghana Swimming Federation is chosen through a process that does not follow our own constitution, it creates a crisis of legitimacy. And legitimacy matters because international sport runs on trust.”
He added that delays and barriers to entry for events like the Commonwealth Games and Youth Olympics were blocking athletes from scholarships, exposure and development, while disputes were freezing funding and technical support from international federations.
Desmond Amponsah, Coaches’ Representative at the Swim Stakeholders Connect, echoed the call for unity and process.
“Whoever wins selection in a free and fair manner will have the full support of the stakeholders in the swimming community,” Amponsah said. “Our interest is in the growth of swimmers and the development of swimming as an esteemed sport all over Ghana.”
Duke Aaron Sasu, Esq., Legal Representative for the stakeholders, said the group had formally outlined its demands to the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the NSA, and was seeking enforcement of the committee’s decisions and a return to constitutional governance.
The stakeholders said the press conference aimed to correct the public record, present a full chronology of events from April 2025 to May 2026, highlight the human cost of the dispute, and signal to World Aquatics that immediate international oversight is needed.
