GAF, Ghana Golden Arms promise good show at 12th Africa Armwrestling Championship in Accra

Accra, the capital city of Ghana, will host at least 20 African countries for the 12th Africa Armwrestling Championship (AAC) from June 23, 2023 to be held at the refurbished GNAT Teachers Hall.

Over 300 pullers from the continent will take part in the competition which is a dress rehearsal for the 13^th African Games also to be hosted in Accra, Ghana in 2024. Some countries that have confirmed participation in the AAC for the first are; Central African Republic, Mauritania, Sierra Leone and Somalia.

Mali, Egypt, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Togo, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Somalia, Benin, Guinea, Nigeria, South Africa, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Ghana are all taking part.

Ghana’s Youth and Sports Minister, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, his Deputy Hon. Evans Opoku Bobie and Director General of the National Sports Authority, Prof. Peter Twumasi have commended Charles Osei Asibey, President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation and urged him to inspire his pullers to win medals for the nation.

Ghana last hosted the rest of the African continent in 2018 and the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF) is staging a high grade event as many developments have come up and the sport has improved.

During a Congress of the Armwrestling Federation of Africa (AFA) last year in Cairo, Egypt, Ghana received a massive endorsement to become the host for the 12th edition of the Africa Armwrestling Championship a qualifying event for the 2023 Africa Games and the World Combat Games going to Saudi Arabia.

Ghana is hosting the Championship once again after 5 years, and this time the Ghana Armwrestling Federation wants to put up a classic and memorable event.

Team Ghana aka the Golden Arms have been preparing and they recently took part in the 2023 National competition at Wesley Grammer School to pick pullers for the national team.

Observing the pullers of Ghana, one can confidently say they are ready to grab the medals.

Team Ghana would be picked from pullers like Rashida Abass from Tamale, Mariam Yussif and Mary-Ann Abagale of St. Louis SHS, Mariam Kadiri Moro, rising star Rachael Lankai, exciting Samuel Adjetey Sowah, Derek Adu Kwakye (AsokwaGH) the machoman, Isaac Antwi Bosiako the big man, Godwin Sackey, Wisdom Kofi Abromekyi, Desmond Mensah, David Bantang, hardworking Abdul Aziz Wahab and Thomas Otokunor Barnor. Ghana Police and Ghana Immigration have presentable pullers.

The pullers are very determined to make history for themselves and the nation so they are putting in every effort to be the best on the continent.

Some personalities supporting the hosting of the event are Major of Accra Hon. Elizabeth Sackey and former Major of Accra Mohammed Adjei Sowah who is the chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC).

Hon. Adjei Sowah, would be assisted by Mr. Edwin Amankwah, Businessman as Vice Chairman with Pharm. Kofi Addo-Agyekum, DCOP Lydia Donkor of the Ghana Police Service, Nii Otoo Larkyne,Ghana Immigration Service, Mrs Gifty Oware-Aboagye of the National Service Secretariat as members.

The rest are Dr. Prince Pambo – Medical (Anti-Doping), Dr. Marc Dzradosi, Robert Appiah Ameyaw of KLM, Jonathan Lambert Awuletey of Qatar Airways, Richard Oppong Ansong, Businessman, Hubert Leo-Mensah from the National Sports Authority, and Rhodaline Owusu Ansong of the MoYS.

The competition has so far received sponsorship from Dzata Cement, Ghana Gas and Adamus Resources Company.

By Sammy Heywood Okine