African Games: Ghana prepares for 'great opportunity', says organizer

Ghana prepares to host the postponed 2023 African Games, but local organizers dismiss concerns, saying the country is “fully prepared” and “ready” to host the multi-sport event. said.

The tournament, originally scheduled to begin in August 2023, was postponed due to disagreements over marketing rights that delayed the completion of the facility.

There is continued disharmony between the organizing bodies, the African Union (AU), the Association of African National Olympic Committees (Anoca) and the Association of African Sports Federations.

All three organizations have played a key role in the delivery of the event, which is currently scheduled to officially begin on March 8th with an opening ceremony in Accra and conclude on March 23rd.

“This is a great opportunity for Ghana and as a country,” Dan Kwaku Yeboah, spokesperson for the African Games' Local Organizing Committee (LOC), told BBC Sport Africa.

“The African Games began in 1965, but no West African country, with the exception of Nigeria, had the opportunity to host them.

“Every aspect is ready: infrastructure, accommodation, transportation, media. All arrangements are progressing smoothly, except for a slight delay in the certification process,” Yeboah added.

One of the delegations affected by the slow certification process was Cameroon, whose athletes, officials and media faced a race against time to secure spots in Ghana.

Cameroon's National Olympic Committee (NOC) Secretary-General David Ojong told BBC Sport Africa: “Initially, certification officials had some difficulty understanding how the platform worked. However, I was enlightened about how the system works during the online session with LOC.” .

The tournament is set to officially begin on Friday, but there are other concerns about whether Ghana will be able to host the tournament.

“The warm-up track is already showing signs of wear and tear, is damaged and was only laid down a few weeks ago,” veteran South African sports commentator Duane DeLoca told the BBC World Service.

“Apparently it was damaged by people who were rehearsing for the opening ceremony,” he added.

Twenty-nine sports have been decided for the African Games, with track and field, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and wrestling qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

However, given the timing of the tournament, many of Africa's leading athletes will choose not to participate, which DeRocca said is a problem for those promoting the tournament.

“We have not been able to promote images of many of Africa's top athletes because there is so much confusion about who will actually be competing,” DeRocca said.

Janet Wanja, a former Kenyan volleyball player and current trainer for the women's national team, also lamented the absence of notable stars.

“Games are often postponed due to the absence of top athletes and star players who can add value. Top athletes are often discouraged from participating. That doesn't help much. We matter too,” she told BBC Sport Africa.

But despite the challenges facing the Games, she is optimistic that the African Games in Ghana will be a success.

“Although most countries are still affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the level of preparation is lower than expected, we still wish the African Games a success,” Wanja added.

Ojong said all teams will face the same issues, whatever their concerns about venues and facilities.

“If the LOC and international federations agree that the venue is suitable for play, then teams can simply play at the venue,” he said.

“Because we’re all playing in the same venue, it’s going to be the same difficulty for everyone and that becomes part of the game.”

Following the excitement of the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Yeboah says fans, athletes and officials should look forward to an unforgettable Pan-African tournament.

“Africa should expect the usual rich Ghanaian hospitality and cultural display, and should expect an opening ceremony that is full of colour, pomp and pageantry.

“Ghanaians are excited so they should expect a very high standard of competition and a good atmosphere at the tournament.”

The two-week event is expected to attract top AU representatives, various heads of state, and more than 5,000 athletes and officials from across the continent.