Accra:Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, has urged parents, coaches, sports administrators, and young athletes to be more vigilant in order to prevent human trafficking in sports.
According to Ghana News Agency, criminal networks are exploiting young athletes' aspirations by making fraudulent promises of professional football contracts, international trials, and scholarships abroad. COP Donkor emphasized the importance of verifying any offers of international contracts, scholarships, and professional opportunities to protect young athletes from potential abuse and exploitation.
COP Donkor made these remarks during an address on "Addressing Human Trafficking in Sports in Ghana" at a training program supported by the International Organization for Migration and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The program aimed to strengthen the ability of officers to identify, investigate, and prevent human trafficking.
She noted that while sports offer significant opportunities for personal and professional growth, traffickers are increasingly using these ambitions to lure young athletes into exploitative situations. COP Donkor stressed that no young person should lose their freedom, dignity, or future while chasing their sporting dreams.
Highlighting the necessity of collective responsibility, COP Donkor called for collaboration among families, sporting institutions, law enforcement agencies, and international partners to safeguard vulnerable young athletes. She reiterated the CID's commitment to intelligence-led investigations, victim protection, and dismantling human trafficking networks in collaboration with sporting institutions and international partners.
COP Donkor concluded by emphasizing that sports should remain a pathway to opportunity, discipline, and national pride, rather than a conduit for exploitation. She called for persistent efforts to ensure that young athletes can safely pursue their ambitions, urging all stakeholders to remain alert to suspicious recruitment activities and prioritize the welfare of young athletes.