By Barrie Alpha
Sierra Leone contingent comprising two athletes and one official of the table tennis over the weekend successfully checked in at the Games Village, Mustapha Ussif, the Youth and Sports Minister, has confirmed that a total of $195 million has been spent on infrastructure development in preparation for the 2023 African Games.
The initial group primarily consist of participants from table tennis participated on Sunday, 3rd March 2024.
Karate team departed this morning, with the final batch of the Sierra Leone contingent leaving Thursday March 7.
The 13th African games scheduled to take place from 8th to 23rd March will unfold at the Borteyman Sports Complex and University of Ghana Stadium complemented by support from 15 additional venues.
The games, originally scheduled to start in August 2023, were postponed because of a disagreement over marketing rights which delayed the completion of facilities.
According to reports, there is an ongoing dispute between organising bodies the Africa Union (AU), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations.
All three organisations play key roles in delivering the event which is now scheduled to officially begin with the opening ceremony in Accra on 8th March then close on 23 March.
The games will unfold at the Borteyman Sports Complex and University of Ghana Stadium complemented by support from 15 additional venues.
In a press briefing held on Monday, March 4, 2024, Minister Ussif disclosed the detailed breakdown of the infrastructure expenditure.
Notably, $145 million was invested in the construction of a state of the art sports centre at Borteyman, $34 million was directed towards renovating the University of Ghana Stadium, and $16 million was earmarked for the refurbishment of the games Village.
Minister Ussif reiterated government’s commitment to the development of national athletes by expressing the intention to transform the Borteyman Sports Complex into a sports university, noting that this strategic move aligns with the broader goal of fostering the growth and nurturing of the talents of Ghana’s aspiring sports stars.
Athletics, Badminton, Cycling, Table Tennis, Tennis, Triathlon, Wrestling and Swimming disciplines will be contesting to secure qualifications for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, while Arm Wrestling, Basketball 3×3, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Football, Handball, Hockey, Karate-Do, Volleyball, and Weightlifting are non-Olympic qualifying sports and the demonstration sports are Mix Martial Arts, Pickleball, Shambo, Scrabble and Speedball.
