National Table Tennis Coach – Black Loopers, Ebenezer Whyte, has voiced his frustration over the allocation of funds to the Ghanaian national football team, the Black Stars, at the expense of other sports, citing the lack of investment in table tennis as a significant hindrance to the country’s performance on the global stage.
Coach Whyte expressed his concerns during an interview of Happy FM’s Wamputu Sports, highlighting the stark disparities in resources allocated to various sporting disciplines in Ghana. He emphasized that while the Black Stars receive substantial financial support, other sports like table tennis remain neglected.
“During the way qualifiers, Our opponents are more experienced and have the exposure,” Coach Whyte stated. “Most of our team members ply their trade locally. The investments other countries put into table tennis, Ghana does not do the same, and when we meet these teams in competitions, they always have the upper hand. If all the money isn’t invested solely in the Black Stars, and some are allocated to lesser-known sports like table tennis, we would perform better.”
This plea for equitable funding comes after a disappointing outcome for Ghana’s table tennis team. Ghana traveled to compete for a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics with a team of five female athletes, but unfortunately, they were all defeated in the competition. They returned to Ghana yesterday, bringing into focus the challenges faced by underfunded sports in the country.