Ghana to be represented by 192 at African Games

Accra, Sept 25, GNA - A total of 192 athletes and officials will represent Ghana in 11 events at the Eight All African Games scheduled for Abuja from October 4 to 18 Announcing the contingent at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, head of the Management Committee for the All African Games said the event would cost the country 417, 638 dollars and a cedi component of 400,000.

He said the expenditure will include clothing, airfares, equipment, per diems and winning bonuses.

The chef de mission said 53 countries, represented by 6,000 athletes and 1,200 officials would participate in the games, which would be covered by 1,500 journalists from all over the world. Giving a break down of the Ghanaian contingent that leaves for Nigeria on October 1, Dr Owusu Ansah said there would be 143 athletes who would be handled by 18 coaches and 18 officials from their respective associations.

He said the number of officials attending the Games has been reduced to 11 compared to 15 who attended to last Games held in South Africa.

Dr Owusu-Ansah said, as part of the Games, a round table conference arranged by the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa from October 5 to 7 (SCSA) would dialogue on how to use sports to lift conflict ravaged Africa from its present predicament.

He said a lot of sacrifices have been made to trim the contingent's composition to the present level and this has affected some sports, adding "there is the need for us to cut our coat according to our cloth in order not to be found wanting"

Dr Owusu Ansah said in order to get even more sporting disciplines to be present at Abuja, they management committee decided to go in bits and pieces since some of the events would start later than others but that was kicked against since it would affect the team's morale and unity.

He said the idea was also not feasible since an event like boxing would start before the official opening ceremony with the weigh in and medicals, whiles the national under -23 team, Black Meteors who would be based in Calabar in the same group with Egypt, Algeria and Cameroon would need to go early in time to acclimatise.

The events Ghana would be participating in are hockey, soccer, boxing, table tennis, volleyball, judo, taekwondo, athletics, weightlifting, karate-do and handball.