African Games 2023: Team Ghana charged to ‘sweep’ medals

The Sports Minister (arrowed) in a pose with the national 3×3 basketball team

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has charged members of Team Ghana to win medals in the upcoming African Games to repay the government’s heavy investment in the competition.

“Government has invested so much to make sure we get all the necessary infrastructure and facilities to host the whole of Africa here in March. We have invested heavily in you the athletes as well and the only way you can repay Ghana is to win the medals.”

The minister made these remarks when he paid a day’s visit to Ghana’s camping base at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, yesterday.

Accompanied by the Chief Director of Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), William Kartey, Chef de Mission for Team Ghana, Ernest Danso, and the Central Regional Sports Director, Alexander Tieku, the Minister visited the athletics, taekwondo, karate-do, judo, wrestling arm-wrestling, boxing, basketball, indoor volleyball, and weightlifting teams to see at first hand their level of preparation.

In his separate meetings with all the teams, he urged them to keep training well to make the nation proud.

He asked athletes set to compete in eight of the sporting disciplines at the Games declared as Olympic Games qualifiers, to take advantage to snatch tickets for Paris 2024 Games.

Addressing the media afterwards, the Minister stated that the visit was to have first-hand knowledge of the team’s preparation, motivate, and encourage them to train harder and win the medals for Ghana.

According to him, this is important in the quest to achieve the ultimate at the Games.

“Together with the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), and all the stakeholders, all logistics required for team Ghana to have the best of camping have been provided for their preparations,” he said.

He announced that the team which has been in camp since January 19 will relocate to the University of Ghana, Legon campus by February 8 to continue with preparations.

“While in Legon, Team Ghana would have the opportunity to test the facilities for the Games during the 30 days count to the start of the Games.”

The Sports Minister also noted that the Games management system has been opened for volunteers to apply, and revealed that in less than 24 hours over 4,000 Ghanaian applications were received.

That, he said speaks volumes of the support and interest the Games have generated among Ghanaians.

He also said the portal would be closed on February and urged those who are yet to apply to do so to be part of the historic Games.

FROM RAYMOND ACKUMEY, CAPE COAST