The Ghana Tennis Federation (GTF) has issued an urgent plea for government intervention to prevent the national teams from being demoted in the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup due to a lack of financial resources.
In a press release issued on May 5, 2026, the GTF warned that Ghana risks missing the upcoming June ties in Nairobi, Kenya, and July competitions in Gaborone, Botswana. Failure to appear at these events would result in an automatic demotion for the national teams.
The Federation disclosed that it has functioned without direct state funding for 15 years, relying instead on corporate sponsorships and International Tennis Federation (ITF) grants. However, the GTF identified two primary obstacles currently threatening their participation: a 50 percent reduction in their ITF participation grant following the loss of a major sponsor, and increased competition for local corporate funding due to the Black Stars’ involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The GTF emphasized that missing these tournaments would damage the nation’s sporting reputation and result in national embarrassment.
“We therefore make a clarion call on the Government of Ghana to urgently reclaim its primary role in funding national sports activities, particularly tennis, to safeguard Ghana’s standing in global competitions,” the statement said.
The funding crisis follows a successful 2025 campaign by the Golden Rackets. Players Isaac Nortey and Samuel Agbesi went undefeated in the Davis Cup Africa Zone Group IV round-robin stage in Angola, eventually losing 2-1 to Burundi in the promotion play-offs. Because of that performance, the team is currently positioned to secure a promotion to Group III if they finish in the top two during the upcoming Nairobi event.