President of the Ghana Olympic committee Ben Nunoo Mensah has admitted Ghana is running out of time to host the 2023 all African Games.
The thirteenth edition of the games which was slated for August this year has been adjourned to 2024 after an agreement between the competitions major stakeholders.
Ghana’s efforts towards hosting the games has been affected by impasse involving the African union, Association of national Olympic committees of Africa and the Association of African sports confederation over some marketing rights but the issue has been resolved.
According to him, the Local Olympic Committee made some wrong choices in the preparations to host the games and also Covid-19 and Marketing impasse were factors that led to the postponement but believes they can make amends with the time left.
“We have already lost a lot of time through no fault of the LOC or through nobody’s fault. Covid was a factor and then also the impasse was a factor so we don’t have time we have also taken some wrong steps and also made some wrong choices. we don’t have the luxury of time as we move forward whatever we all do now should be on point it should be well informed decisions and here is the situation where we would call on the media to help us so that we will be able to deliver this game”
Mean while, Head of Ghana’s Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Kweku Ofosu Asare has revealed that various stakeholders will partake in the examination of the facilities to conclude on a new date for the commencement of the competition.
“IOC stakeholders will come to Ghana to examine the facilities and we will do that together to take a decision on the date and maybe by close of March we should agree on the date and also take them round to the facilities thus university of Ghana stadium as you are well aware we will go to where the other sports will be taking place like Accra sports stadium like hockey and let them have a first time assessment so after seeing the facilities that we will agree on the ones that will be used for the games it is highly likely that there will be a revision on the 24 that we have agreed upon” He said.
He also hinted that other disciplines are pushing to be part of the games and that will be determined when all stakeholders meet and deliberate on the proposals and also added that the date for the games will be determined immediately after the inspection is done.
“we were also made aware that other disciplines are knocking on our door for other disciplines to also be part of our games and some of them are really poised of taking part of the games so it is when they come down then we will do the assessment and we will look at all these that we will firm up on the date and probably the dates will be determined as soon as the inspections have been done” He noted
The much anticipated all African games could not come off as scheduled but the local organizing committee is working assiduously to ensure the competition takes place as soon as the new date is determined.
