Day: March 3, 2024

The Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has settled on ten players to represent Ghana at the 13th Africa Games.

With less than a day for the kick off, the technical team after a rigid selection process, came out with five males and females to compete in the tournament.

Making the cut for the male team at tender age was Israel Aklie, 11, who double as the 2022 Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG)Table Tennis Player of the Year.

He would be the youngest player in the Ghanaian contingent for the 13th Africa games.

Other members of the team were; Bernard Joe Sam, Emmanuel Commey, Samuel Akayade and Ernest Mawutor Quarcoo.

While the female team would be led by captain Cynthia Kwabi, with Celia Baah-Danso, Eva Adom-Amankwaa, Bernice Borley Borquaye and new kid on the block Juanita Borteye, 2023 SWAG female prospect of the year.

The dynamic table tennis player, James Marfo would be a reserve player for the male’s team.

The team would be coached by Anthony Owusu-Ansah and Ebenezer Tetteh Annang-Whyte.

M
r. Charles Tachie-Masonn, the Technical Director of GTTA said the team is well prepared for the competition and they were confident of a good performance.

The table tennis would start from Monday, March 4, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Balloting precedes the competition on Sunday 3rd March 2024 at 4pm at La Palm Beach Hotel.

Africa’s powerhouses Egypt and Nigeria, and a host of other nations would be participating.

Ghana would be hosting the tournament for the first times since 1965.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A powerful rainstorm that struck Saturday evening has caused significant damage to the roofing of the VIP stands and other sections of the Sunyani Coronation Park.

The most affected areas were the left and right wings of the VIP stands, portions of the Jubilee stand, and the DKM stand.

The rainstorm began around 17:15 hours Saturday evening and lasted until 18:30 hours.

According to an eyewitness, Mr Francis Ankamah Wanney, Secretary of the Bono Ahafo Regional Football Association, the rain started shortly after an FA Cup round of 16 match between Sunyani Prisons Ladies and Kumasi Sports Academy at the Park.

He said portions of the roofing of the left wing of the VIP stands collapsed onto a Northern Electricity Development Company (NEDCo) light pole at the Park, near the RFA office, causing a blackout in the area.

Additionally, the falling roof from the right wing of the VIP stands narrowly missed hitting the bus of Kumasi Sports Academy as it landed at the front of the bus.

In a related interview, Mr.
Foster Kwame Opoku Boakye, the Bono Regional Director of the National Sports Authority, emphasized the urgent need for action to address the damage.

He requested for assistance for roofing sheets, lumber, nails, and other assistance to repair the roof and replace displaced seats.

Mr. Boakye also appealed for support to facilitate the re-roofing of the Park, as much of the roofing had been in place for many years.

The Coronation Park, with a capacity of approximately 6,000, is a popular venue for hosting various sporting events, including Premier League and National Division One league matches, inter-school competitions, and serves as a symbol of community pride for the people of the Bono Region.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has paid glowing tribute to former President John Agyekum Kufuor for starting the construction of the University of Ghana Stadium, which was commissioned on Friday, March 1, 2024.

The Kufuor-led Government began the project in 2007, but after leaving office, successive governments abandoned it for eight years.

As part of plans to host the 13th African Games in Ghana, the Akufo-Addo-led Government resumed construction works, and expanded it into a standard, multi-purpose facility with mundo and standard warm up athletics tracks.

At the commissioning of the stadium in Accra, Vice President Bawumia acknowledged the immense contribution of President Kufuor’s Government and other stakeholders towards the development of the stadium.

‘I am particularly excited about the completion of the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, with added facilities, due to its chequered history,’ he said,

‘As we all know, the construction of this stadium started under the Government of His Excelle
ncy President J. A. Kufuor over 15 years ago.’

‘However, the construction of this stadium was completely abandoned by successive governments, until our government assumed office and decided to resume construction and the result is the beautiful edifice we are commissioning.”I would like to thank former President Kufuor, for his vision to build a stadium for University of Ghana, the GETFUND for providing the initial funding, and to all those who have played various roles to ensure the completion of the stadium.’Dr Bawumia said as the University of Ghana celebrated its landmark 75th Anniversary, there could not have been a more fitting monument for the Anniversary.

‘This has come at the right time; to host the African Games and also as a befitting legacy to the University and its community,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

After five years of preparation, Ghana is ready to host the biggest sporting event on the African continent, with over 49 countries participating in the highly anticipated 13th African Games.

It is an historic games for Ghana as they host the games for the first time since its inception in 1965, having built modern, state-of-the-art sporting facilities.

The theme for the games, ‘Experience the African Dream,’ would celebrate the vast sporting talents on the continent as they converge in Accra to make history for themselves and countries.

Ghana would have the opportunity to showcase its diverse culture to the rest of the world during the opening ceremony set for Friday, March 8, 2024, with an anticipated two billion TV and online viewers during the three-week event.

Over 13,000 elite athletes from all over Africa would be competing for honours, while others would also be hoping to pick spots for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Games Schedule

Following the arrival of some nations in Accra over the pas
t few days, some preliminary qualifying events are expected to get underway. on Monday, March 4, 2024.

Sports disciplines like badminton, handball, and table tennis would get the prelims underway on Monday, March 4, 2024.

The first medals would be up for grabs on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in the badminton and table tennis events.

Athletics would kick off on Monday, March 18, 2024, with a total of 174 medals up for grabs in both the men’s and women’s track and field events.

The first swimming competition will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2024, while boxing will kick off on Friday, March 15, 2024.

Cycling will also kick off on Saturday, March 9, 2024, on the Ablekuma Pokuase Highway, with a total of 78 medals up for grabs from participating countries.

The Hana Hathramani Hall at the Accra Sports Stadium will host the wrestling event, while the competition venue for triathlon will be the Labadi Beach Resort.

Sports disciplines and host stadiums

A total of 30 sporting disciplines will feature at the 13t
h African Games, with seven Olympic qualifying sporting disciplines, 16 non-Olympic qualifiers, and seven demonstration sports.

The newly constructed Borteyman Sports Complex will host some games, including badminton, handball, and tennis.

The world class aquatic centre at Borteyman Sports Complex would also host swimming events and some non-Olympic qualifying games, including Taekwando, Karate-do, Judo, Handball and fencing.

The newly commissioned University of Ghana Sports Stadium, which will host the opening ceremony of the games, will host all track and field events.

The Accra Sports Stadium and the University of Ghana Sports Stadium will host the men’s football, while the women’s competition will be played at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium and the Paa Kwesi Ndoum Sports Complex.

The Achimota Oval will host the cricket events, while Cyling, which is an Olympic qualifier, will be hosted in Olebu and Ablekuma in Accra.

The Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium will host 10 countries for both the men’s and wome
n’s hockey events, with participating countries including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra Hearts of Oak continued their blistering start to the second round after beating Nsoatreman FC 2-1 at Nana Amoah Koronmansah Park.

Kassim Cisse and Salifu Ibrahim were on target for the Phobians as they recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season under their new coach, Aboubakar Ouattara.

Hearts, with the three points, move into the 7th position on the league table with 27 points, while Nsoatreman FC, despite the loss, stay fourth on the table.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko, after last week’s defeat against Heart of Lions, bounced back to winning ways against Bibiani Gold Stars at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Friday.

Peter Amidu’s first half strike was enough to secure Kotoko all three points to help them move to within three points of league leaders Samartex 1996, who will play Nations FC tomorrow.

Great Olympics recorded back-to-back wins after beating Heart of Lions 2-0 at Sogakope Park.

Yusif Abdul Razak scored a brace for Great Olympics, as they secured all three points and moved into
the top half of the table with 27 points.

With Medeama and Dreams FC out of action due to their participation in Africa’s club competitions, the Premier League continues tomorrow with leaders Samartex 1996 taking on Nations FC, while bottom-placed Real Tamale United will face Bofoakwa Tano.

Some results of week 19:

Berekum Chelsea 3-0 Karela United

Legon Cities 0-0 Accra Lions FC

Nsoatreman FC 1-2 Hearts of Oak

Great Olympics 2-0 Heart of Lions

Asante Kotoko 1-0 Bibiani Gold Stars FC

Source: Ghana News Agency