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AG 2023: Win medals to justify expenditure
Benjamin Kwaku Azamati – to lead Ghana’s medal charge
Spectacular ceremony kicked into motion yesterday the 13th edition of the African Games (AG) on Ghanaian soil for the first time in the history of the competition.
The Games would have in attendance over 7,000 world-class athletes from every part of the continent of Africa, in addition to other thousands made up of officials, technical delegates and many other stakeholders.
And as host nation, Ghanaians have every reason to be optimistic that her medal haul at the competition would improve.
Officials of the respective teams of Ghana are aware of this expectation of Ghanaians who have been made to understand that past failures were because few athletes participated as a result of the cost involved.
Gladly, the Games are happening right on our soil and every discipline code chosen for the Games must have no room for excuses.
Already, comments urging Ghanaians to be modest in their expectation have started flying with others even attempting to introduce Olympic values of mere participation and not winning at all cost into the fray.
It may be tolerable to sound cautious but one may then ask why a country should spend so much to provide infrastructure and other logistics to host such a high profile event and win nothing.
Exact figures of expenditure so far has been difficult to sight but those made available by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, indicates that the government has so far spent a total of $195 million on the provision of infrastructure for the Games.
That represents the amount approved by Parliament although a few members of the same house are beginning to raise concerns over the Games’ expenditure.
In the Minister’s breakdown, he disclosed that an amount of $145,086,057.54 was spent on the Borteyman Sports Complex, which was constructed by Contracta Construction UK Limited; a total of $34,102,135.00 on the upgrade of the 11,000-seater University of Ghana Stadium with a track, a warm-up area for athletes, and a rugby pitch constructed by Consar Limited and a Games Village put up by Mawums Limited at a cost of $16,066,961.20.
That is a huge amount of money and the only justification for that expenditure should be a good medal haul and the quality of facilities Ghana would be left with.
That should make our athletes aware that Ghanaians would not accept any mediocre show on home soil and it is the reason they would enjoy the maximum support to deliver.
There is high expectation for the male and female football teams that would be competing at the Accra and Cape Coast Sports stadiums, the boxing team (Black Bombers), athletics, armwrestling team, taekwondo and others.
The African Games, without doubt, represents a platform to celebrate the traditions and cultures of the various countries and must be preserved at all cost.
However, the rising cost of hosting it will soon become its biggest demon due to the current state of the economies of member nations.
The story of Malawi has been very pathetic and must be a concern to all.
Despite the many talented youth in the country, Malawi could only afford to send two boxers to Accra for the African Games after her boxing association named eight boxers for the Games because the Malawian government was cash-strapped.
The duo includes light-welterweight, Elias Bonzo, and welterweight, Lewis Zakeyu.
Scarcity of funds has been a major stumbling block not only for Malawi. Many other countries are in similar financial quagmire, for which reason they may limit the number of athletes to sponsor for the Games.
In Ghana, there was division at certain points following the delay in construction works, leading to calls from a section of the political elites to abandon the hosting.
That should send signals to members of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC/UCSA), owners of the Games to find ways to raise funds to sustain the event instead of leaving a chunk of the task on governments with ailing economies.
By Andrew Nortey
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
