Ben Nunoo Mensah, Keynote Address @ 2023 Afro Sports Summit in Accra International Conference Center

Good Day, Welcome to the Motherland

It feels good to be among sports people to deliberate and to decide what is best for our continent, Africa, and our individual countries.

You know Kenya used to produce long distance runners, but currently has the fastest man in Africa in Ferdinand Omanyala. Short distance events used to be the preserve of West Africa, Ghana and Nigeria used to produce the best sprinters.

I recall when Ghana beat Britain, Jamaica, Australia and others in the 4 x100 meters at the 1966  Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, when we had the likes of B.K. Mends, Oko Addy, James Aryee Addy and Stanley Allotey.

The point I am making is that Kenya is doing something right, maybe they have the modern facilities or taking good care of their athletes, with good nutrition, coaching and motivation. We have to be particular about the health and safety of our athletes.

In March this year, I personally invited former World 100 meters record holder and champion, Jamaican Asafa Powell to come and inspire our young athletes. He was sad that we lacked some basic facilities in Accra, thank God the African Games will fix some of our problems.

I think this Summit is ideal and should be continued, I doff my hat off for the organisers for doing it successfully last year and here we are again.

I believe the future is very important and the future is in our youth, the rising stars. If we want to win Olympic Games and African Games medals we have to plan ahead and catch them young.

For close to 30 years, Ghana never won a medal at the Olympics, but in 2021 under my administration as President of the Ghana Olympic Committe (GOC) we went to Tokyo 2020 and brought home a bronze medal with a small team, in fact the only medal won by Africa in Boxing; because we monitored the athletes well and took the best who are young, capable of winning and can even go for a second Olympic.

It is not strange that our young Boxing Champion Samuel Takyi wants to have a second Olympic Games experience at Paris 2024.

Just recently, we participated in the African Beach Games in Morocco, with the least number in delegation and most youngest athletes, and won a medal in Teqball.

African athletes are very good, skilful and talented, but lack education, good nutrition and scientific technical training.

This is my worry and if we can address these issues as well as remuneration for local athletes, Africans can rub shoulders with the best from Europe, Asia or America.

It is a fact that almost all the top and best athletes in the world are Africans by way of their DNA, let Africa take advantage of that DNA fact (which is scientifically true) and create strong marketing brands and businesses for the continent.

I want to appeal to corporate Institutions to invest in sports, which is also a tool for advertising and marketing.

For the media, you are doing quite well, however you need to build your capacity to be abreast with modern trends in this era of social media.

As we host the 13th African Games in March next year. I hope to see most of you here again in Accra in the name and spirit of sports.

On behalf of the IOC, ANOCA and the Ghana Olympic Committee, I wish you all the best in your deliberations and a very successful summit.

Thank you

Ben Nunoo Mensah is President of the Ghana Olympic Committee