Kofi Adams meets Russian Sports Minister to explore MoU on training, scholarships, grassroots development and athlete protection

The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams, has held bilateral discussions with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Degtyarev, on a proposed Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation in sports development.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 14th International Sports Forum “Russia: Country of Sports” in Krasnoyarsk, with discussions covering collaboration across sporting disciplines, training, scholarships, school and grassroots development, and anti-doping.

The proposed MoU is intended to provide a structured framework for cooperation between the two countries, with preparation of the draft identified as the next step towards formalising the partnership.

Mr Adams placed particular emphasis on opportunities for young Ghanaians to study, train and develop their sporting abilities in Russia. He highlighted the restructuring of school and grassroots sport at home and the importance of strengthening the foundations through which promising athletes are identified and supported.

The Russian side expressed readiness to provide further scholarship opportunities for Ghanaian students, offering scope to connect education with sporting and professional development.

The discussions also explored cooperation across sporting disciplines and training opportunities that could strengthen expertise within Ghana’s development system.

Sports financing emerged as another area of mutual interest. Mr Adams outlined the Ghana Sports Fund as part of efforts to provide a more dependable basis for investment in athlete development, infrastructure and welfare.

The Russian delegation expressed interest in learning more about the Fund’s model, including its governance, sources of revenue and operational arrangements. This opened a further avenue for institutional exchange alongside the proposed training and scholarship cooperation.

On anti-doping, Mr Adams reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to clean sport while stressing the importance of education, fair procedures and the protection of athletes’ rights.

He cautioned against the use of anti-doping processes in ways that unnecessarily undermine athletes’ careers. The discussion connected stronger anti-doping capacity with the wider responsibility to guide and protect athletes throughout their development.

The two ministers also exchanged views on international sporting cooperation and the value of maintaining opportunities for athletes to train, compete and develop through partnerships.

The proposed MoU would give these discussions an institutional framework, allowing both countries to define priority activities and responsibilities as the cooperation progresses.

For Ghana, the engagement creates an opportunity to connect reforms underway at home with international training, educational support and technical expertise, while building a longer-term relationship focused on young people and stronger sporting institutions.