The second edition of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Games got off to a flying start with a short but impressive opening ceremony at the El-Wak Stadium last Saturday.
It was the Vice President John Dramani Mahama who performed the grand opening ceremony which attracted top government and ECOWAS officials as well as the various supporter groups in the country.
The Vice President emphasized the importance of sports, hence government's quest to partner the private sector to prioritize it, in order to create more jobs for the youth.
Eleven participating countries comprising, Liberia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Niger, Togo, Sierra Leon, Benin and Ghana clad in their various national colours, were on parade and after the ceremonial lightening of the Games flame by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) chairman Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the Games, with rlg Communications as headline sponsors, began with athletics.
And Ghana demonstrated glimpses of their abilities in the seven-day competition by grabbing four medals on the first day. Two medals were won in 800m (Women) by Agnes Abu (2:12:35s), and Rita Luonab (2:16:65s) who took the second and third positions respectively to claim silver and bronze.
The men's 1500 event saw Sampson of Ghana winning gold in 3:57:14s with compatriot Bright Atta-Gyamfi picking silver after finishing on 4:03:63, while David Barnabas of Nigeria won bronze after making it in 4:04:19secs.
The Games continued yesterday with athletics, boxing, traditional wrestling at the El-Wak and Accra Stadium respectively.
Today at 2:00pm, Burkina Faso will engage Sierra Leone in traditional wrestling, while Togo faces Sierra Leone at the Accra Stadium. Ghana will face Cote d'Ivoire at 6pm with Mali taking on Cote d'Ivoire at 8pm at the same venue.
In Volleyball, Sierra Leone will battle Togo, while Burkina Faso play Niger this morning at the Accra Stadium.
Rlg Communications Limited is the Game's headline sponsor with support from Zoomlion Ghana Ltd., GNPC, Ghallywood, Goil, NPA and Tullow.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum
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