The President of the country, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo must be commended for his wisdom, efforts, and commitment to the nation’s winning the bid to host the continental Olympics, The African Games, Accra 2023.
The Games will begin from the 8th of March to the 23rd of March 2024.
He has been a pillar in all these efforts.
He supports the Local Organizing Committee in its endeavours as it gears up to host over 5000 athletes and officials from the continent and beyond.
His leadership style in all these planning, preparation, his intervention in the resolution of a teething impasse between the African Union on one side and ANOCA/AUSC on the other side, and the implementation of other intangibles are commendable.
The Parliament, which houses the representatives of the people led by the Speaker should also be applauded for their contributions in passing the Protocol Agreement, the blueprint for the Games.
The LOC also receives encouragement and other technical support from Parliament especially the Select Committee on Youth, Sports, and Culture.
The consensus on the part of our Hon Members of Parliament for the hosting of the Games is reassuring.
The President has also authorized the provision of a standalone office for the Games.
LOC will soon outdoor it.
One key benefit for the nation hosting the Games is the conversion of the facilities at one of the venues, Borteyman into a University for Sports Development.
This is unique as it will be the first in the West African sub-region and second to South Africa on the continent.
The nation abounds with numerous talents and budding youth who are ready and anxious to serve their communities and by extension their country through sports.
They also will like to acquire academic knowledge in their fields of practice.
The potential university will give them and their counterparts from the sub-region the benefit of the theory and the practical aspects of their skills or talents.
The university intends to impart knowledge and train coaches, sports administrators, and all other persons who are involved in the development and promotion of sports.
The President has therefore tasked the LOC to establish a sub-committee to start the process.
The LOC has heeded the President’s directive and the Sub-committee is in place. It is headed by the Director of Sports of the University of Ghana, Dr B Bello and it has some distinguished members from both the academia and the sports fields.
The assurance from the Government and the LOC is that the facilities will be put to good use after the Games.
In addition, the nation will have the opportunity to host other international competitions across the globe.
Mr. President, the Parliament of Ghana, the LOC appreciates and acknowledges your intuition in all these planning, preparations, and implementation stages of the Games.
God bless our homeland, Ghana