The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has made the boldest declaration about Ghana’s preparation to host the 13th African Games, affirming that the country was ready to welcome all sports athletes to the continental showpiece.
Presenting his message of the State of the Nation (SONA) to the Parliament yesterday, President Akufo-Addo minced no words about the government’s commitment to stage a historic and successful Africa Games.
“Ghana is ready to welcome sports men and women from around the continent to participate in the 13th edition of the African Games. It seems incredible, but this is the first time that Ghana will be hosting these games,” he told Parliament.
According to him, it has taken a lot of courage to have persisted with the decision to host the games, in the face of the country’s financial problems which came in the midst of the preparations.
“But I am glad we went ahead. The preparations are all complete, and I was excited and very pleased with what I saw at Borteyman when I went to commission the Games village some two weeks ago.”
President Akufo-Addo further indicated that Ghana would be left with high class sporting facilities to serve athletes well, long after the games are over.
“Some of the events will take place at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium. It is worth noting that this is a facility that started under former President, J.A. Kufuor, and was abandoned by successor governments,” he said.
However, he expressed joy over the completion of the project under his stewardship, not just because of the games, but also because it has taken 75 years of existence for Ghana’s premier university, University of Ghana (UG), to have a sports stadium.
President Akufo-Addo also hinted the unveiling of a Presidential Policy on Football, a long-term, far-sighted approach to correct what has gone wrong with football.
That, he said, would take the country back to the time of scouting, grooming and developing talent at the district grassroots level.
Moreover, he said the school sports department of the Ministry of Education (MoE) will work hand in hand with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) and Ghana Football Association (GFA) to build district, regional and national juvenile teams for both boys and girls.
He again indicated that more than 150 astro turf pitches constructed throughout the country would provide the foundational facilities to make a start.
“We should see a steady progression of talent up the ladder from the juvenile teams to the senior sides based on merit, and nothing else” he noted.
This policy, he explained, was similar to the tried before five-year football development plan, led by the late Ben Koufie, and initiated under the NPP administration of President JA Kufuor.
“The results became evident to us and the world. It takes time, dedication and patience. We cannot harvest where we have not planted and irrigated. I have no doubt at all that the Black Stars will rise and make us proud again.”
The president commended the senior women’s team, the Black Queens, for qualifying for this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and also urged them to work hard to overturn the 1-0 deficit against Zambia in today’s second leg Olympic Games qualifier.
BY ANDREW NORTEY