Richard Akpokavie emerged victorious in the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) presidential election, clinching 44 votes to defeat challenger Michael Aggrey, who received 19 votes, during the Elective Congress at the Accra International Conference Center.
The win marks a reversal of fortunes for Akpokavie, who narrowly lost the 2021 election to then-incumbent Ben Nunoo Mensah by seven votes.
Akpokavie, an alumnus of Achimota School, brings a multifaceted background to the role, having served as an athlete, coach, manager, and administrator. He captained Ghana’s national hockey team and previously held the position of GOC General Secretary from 2017 to 2021. Notably, he is the first Ghanaian appointed as an arbitrator on the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS), the governing body of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The election also saw several uncontested appointments. Mawuko Afadzinu assumed the role of 1st Vice President, while Frederick Otu Kartey and Bawa Fuseini were elected 2nd Vice President and Assistant Secretary General, respectively. Ernest Danso defeated Mohammed Mahadi for 3rd Vice President, and Evans Yeboah edged out Isaac Duah to become Treasurer. Nii Lante Bannerman secured the Assistant Treasurer position, while Mohammed Muniru Kassim unseated Mohammed Baadae Sahnoon as Secretary General.
Additional board members include George Qwusu Ansah (Nana Makattah), Delphina Quaye, Edwin Amankwah, Rafatu Inusah, Kamal Sulley, George Tettey, Nathaniel Johnson, and Samuel Tetteh Ayer. The newly elected team was sworn in by Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams, witnessed by outgoing president Ben Nunoo Mensah, former president Peter Kpordugbe, and a representative from the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).
Akpokavie’s election underscores a shift toward leadership deeply rooted in sports administration and international governance. His extensive experience across multiple facets of athletics positions him to address both longstanding and emerging challenges within Ghana’s Olympic framework. The transition also reflects broader trends in sports governance, where technical expertise and institutional knowledge increasingly shape leadership choices. The GOC’s renewed leadership now faces the task of steering Ghana’s Olympic ambitions amid evolving global sporting dynamics.
