African Games: We mustn’t fail

The nation last Friday made a colourful ceremony of the gathering of Africa's elite sportspersons as the 13th African Games officially opened in Accra.

The spectacle of athletes from the 49 participating countries filing out in their national colours brought to fruition a hosting dream that was originally billed to have taken place in 2023.

More than just another fun occasion for fraternisation, the multi-sport festival, which started with some indoor events on Sunday, March 3, will serve as qualifying ground for the Paris '24 Olympics for a number of disciplines.

It is for this reason that many athletes have come to Accra with a championship mindset, seeking to conquer their fields for both the immediate glory and subsequent opportunities.

As host nation, Ghana's contingent of over 400 athletes is understandably one of the largest at the Games.

 Officials appear to have taken advantage of the host status to give exposure to athletes in almost all the 29 disciplines featuring at the Games.

This may not necessarily produce the medals the populace would crave, but it certainly can provide motivation for the local sport and its athletes, and open doors for a breakthrough to major international platforms.

There is no doubt that the ambition is to lift high the national flag at the Games, but it is also true that the ultimate goal of every sporting system is to produce worthy and competitive athletes.

That is why the argument for participation is a strong one; after all, it is in testing athletes' strength against their competitors that their quality and standard are measured.

The terrain has not been so smooth so far at the Games for Ghana, but the lessons, experience and exposure for the athletes and their handlers — both coaches and administrators — can be enormous.

The complaints from athletes have ranged from poor preparation to poor kit and equipment, exposing the inadequacies of the local managers.

It is only proper that those who supervised some of those sad incidences rise from the ashes of the Games to improve the lot of the country.

The hosting rights, at least, come with the blessing of developing local sports infrastructure.

 For example, until now, there was no worthy nationally owned swimming facility for competitive sport, while many other disciplines lacked adequate facilities for practice and competitions.

But the Borteyman Sports Complex and the University of Ghana Stadium are international standard infrastructure that should take the place of the once revered Kaneshie Sports Complex long before it became Azumah Nelson Sports Complex.

Such a platform also offers Ghana the opportunity to develop its human resource in the management of multi-sport events.

It is at events such as the African Games that sports administrators and managers get to acquire the necessary knowledge and experience in the handling of bigger competitions, and the ongoing Games is expected to help the country develop its own anti-doping infrastructure, a sports medicine base and a host of relevant related facilities and infrastructure.

The experience must transcend generations to make the whole enterprise of hosting the continent a worthy cause.

As President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said at the opening ceremony, Africa is blessed with a rich diversity, hence the need to cherish the unique contributions of participating countries who possess different cultures, traditions and identity.

As he said, it is heart-warming to witness the role that sport plays in bringing the continent together.

“As you compete in the Games in the coming days, remember that your efforts inspire countless individuals across the continent.

Strive for excellence, push your limits and showcase the immense talents that Africa possesses,” the President said.

It is in this vein that we join the President in wishing all participating countries well, expecting each to compete with integrity and sportsmanship, to honour the values of fair play and respect in the competition.

We also call on the Ghanaian public to rally behind the team as they take on the rest of the continent to bring honour to the nation.