Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams has urged the integration of sports medicine into mainstream athletics, saying it is critical to both performance and athlete safety.
Speaking at the 2025 Sports Medicine Conference hosted by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Mr. Adams said sports medicine should no longer be treated as peripheral. “It is the operating system of modern sports,” he said.
He was speaking at the 2025 Sports Medicine Conference, organised by the College of Health Sciences (CHS) in partnership with the Sports Medicine Association of Ghana.
The event was held under the theme “From the Grassroots to Elite: Elevating Sports Medicine Standards in Ghana.”
Adams urged universities, businesses and stakeholders to step up support. “To academia, contribute through articles that will propel change in the face of sports. To our universities, expand places in sports medicine and align curricula with field needs. To corporate Ghana, invest in ambulances and scholarships for sports health professionals. To supporters, demand safe venues and support the professionals who make the game safer. And to coaches, insist on data, training, and respect. Promoters too must sponsor and invest,” he said.
CHS Provost Professor Christian Agyare said sports medicine benefits far more than professional athletes.
“Sports medicine is not a preserve for professional athletes alone, but a discipline that touches the lives of all, from the young boy or girl playing in a dusty field in our communities to the elite athlete carrying Ghana’s flag,” he said.
Agyare added that KNUST is the first university in Ghana to introduce a Bachelor of Science programme in Sports and Exercise Science to help advance the field.
Joining virtually, Black Stars team doctor and CAF Medical Committee member Dr. Prince Pambo spoke on anti-doping. “We believe that sportsmen and women serve as role models and that sports is all about fair play. There is a lot of fame and money in sports, so the urge to cheat is there but we are there to check these acts,” he said.
The conference also featured panel discussions, academic presentations and a simulation exercise by the National Ambulance Service, showcasing emergency response in sports medicine.
