The International Games and Competition Committee (IGCC) have confirmed that Ghana will send a contingent size of 91 athletes and 48 officials for the upcoming 12th African Games (AG) slated for Rabat, Morocco from August 19- September 1.
Officials include 29 coaches from the respective teams and a management team of 19 members.
They will participate in 14 of the 26 disciplines at the Games, including athletics, badminton, beach volley, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, weightlifting, Judo, karate-do, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, and tennis.
Briefing the media yesterday on Ghana’s preparations, Prof. Peter Twumasi, Chairman of the IGCC said that the disciplines were selected based on the disciplines with high medal prospects.
He said Ghana’s aim at the multisport event was to win medals in their various competitions, hence the massive reduction in the numbers from 300 athletes that featured in the 2015 edition in Congo Brazzaville.
“In the past, we have attended this competition with a large contingent of athletes and returned home with little; this time the approach is to go with fewer athletes who have been prepared extensively over the course of time. We believe it is a prudent way of winning more medals at the Games.”
The National Sports Authority (NSA) boss also assured that the necessary equipment, logistics, and kits needed for their preparations have been provided to ensure that they have smooth preparations going into the games.
Chef de Mission of the Ghana contingent, Rev.Richmond Quarcoo disclosed that the various athletes and their technical handlers have commenced their residential camping towards the games.
He stated that the disciplines have been divided into three groups with the first group consisting of boxing, table tennis, taekwondo, Weight lifting, fencing, Karate-do and beach Volley based at the Cape Coast stadium.
The second group made up of Tennis, Judo, Swimming, Badminton, and Cycling are training at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The U-20 male side, the Black Satellites, which makes up the third group, have begun camping at the Ghanaman Soccer of Excellence.
According to Rev. Quarcoo, the team is expected to leave on August 16 for the 11-day event; however, the football, beach volley, and Judo teams will leave on August 13 due to their early competition schedule.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Samuel A. Boakye-Buckman (popularly known as Dada Oliseh) is a self-motivated young journalist with a passion for telling stories better with pictures. He is the founder, owner, editor and bankroller of www.ghanasoccernews.org as well as this website, www.totalsportsgh.com. Dada Oliseh is again the brain behind the Dada Oliseh Photos brand that produces awesome pictures of all sporting activities, nature, and other occasions.
He has a vast experience in the reporting of sports in Ghana especially football-related activities in Ghana and beyond. A former employee of Hearts News (official mouthpiece of Accra Hearts of Oak), 90 minutes sports paper, National Sports Authority, Footballcrusader.com, sportscrusader.com, and ghanafootballnews.com, Samuel is one of the few energetic and self-motivated young journalist in Ghana with a large following on social media, especially Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/boakye.buckman.9). He is well known for his frequent updates from all over the country with pictures to match. He is also a correspondent for a few international websites, including CAF. In recent times, he has introduced, as part of his many talents, the live streaming of matches and football-related activities. He lives in Accra Ghana.