The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has tasked athletes and officials of the 13th Africa Games Accra 2023 to compete in an atmosphere of camaraderie and unity to truly reflect the celebration of the cultural diversity of the African continent.
According to Dr Bawumia, the theme for the Games, ‘Experience the African Dream’, was steeped in the core values of unity, independence, political and economic cooperation, as well as historical and cultural awareness of the continent.
“I believe it is common knowledge that the Great Pan-African and First President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, is a founding member of the Games. The Games thus inhabit the spirit of Africa and Pan Africanism.”
Dr Bawumia gave the advice on Friday when he commissioned the University of Ghana Sports Stadium earmarked for the hosting of the 13th edition of the Africa Games hosted in Ghana.
It will be the first time Ghana, a founding member of the Games, is hosting the event to officially start on March 8 and endit in March 23.
It was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Games, members of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC/UCSA) and a cross section of local fans.
Addressing the guests, Dr Bawumia stated that throughout the Games, Africa would experience the varied traditions and cultures of the over 13,000 elite athletes, sports technocrats, technicians, and officials, including volunteers expected to participate in the African Games.
In that regard, he reiterated Gha
na’s readiness to deliver the best African Games to date, stating that “all of the government and other state and non-state actors have collaborated with the Sports Ministry and LOC to deliver the best African Games to date.”
The Vice President noted that government took the bold decision to bid and win the rights for the Games based on its recognition for the many social and cultural benefits inherent in it.
“This visionary step resulted in the construction of international standard sporting facilities, such as the upgrading of the sports facilities at the University of Ghana to a 10,000-capacity stadium with a modern Mundo track for athletics competition, warm-up tracks, a modern rugby field, and the Borteyman Sports Complex.”
“As a government that has sports at heart, we have gone to full length to provide all the necessary infrastructure to make the hosting of the Games a very smooth one, and I must state that Ghana will surprise the rest of Africa by hosting the best African Games ever.”
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
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