Team Ghana not prepared for the 2023 Africa Games, will be ready soon – CDM

Mr Ernest Danso Chef de Mission (CDM), for Team Ghana at the 2023 Africa Games, has stated that Ghana is yet to form a team to represent the country in the continental multisport event.

He said the country would soon hold ‘a justify your inclusion’ in about 22 sporting disciplines to select athletes to represent the country in the Games scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana in March 2024.

The CDM revealed during the opening of the maiden Sports Investment Summit and Awards held at The Residency in Ho, Volta Region.

The event was part of activities for the sixth edition of the ongoing Volta Fair and was on the theme Sports as an economic driver: Nurturing talent and investment for a thriving AfCFTA era.

Ghana won the bid to host the 13th edition of the Africa Games in 2018 which was originally scheduled to take place in this year but had to be postponed to 2024 due

to the country’s unreadiness.

However, with about two months to the Olympic qualifying event, the host country is yet to know her team size.

Mr. Danso gave the assurance that selection into the national team would be on merit and that athletes from the Volta Region would be given equal opportunity to represent their region and country.

According to the Local Organising Committee headed by Dr Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, the goal of Ghana hosting the Games is to position the country as one of the five leading sporting nations in Africa as well as develop the capacities of Ghanaian athletes to compete at the highest international sports levels.

The 13th Africa Games would be held in Accra from March 08-23, 2024 at the Borteyman Multisport Complex, University of Ghana, Achimota Cricket Oval and the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium.

Disciplines that would have the Games as their Olympic qualifier are Athletics, Badminton, Cycling, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Triathlon, and Wrestling while E-Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, Pickleball, Sambo, Scrabble, Speedball, and Teqball serve as demonstration sports.

These disciplines would also be competitive but would not be an Olympic qualifier Armwrestling, Basketball (3×3), Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Football, Handball, Judo, Karate-Do, Rugby, Taekwondo, Volleyball, and Weightlifting.

Meanewhile SWAG President Kwabena Yeboah has warned that in order not to encounter embaracement Team Ghana must be prepared on time with every support to excel at the Games which the country is hosting for the first time.

By Sammy Heywood Okine