President Akufo-Addo has officially commissioned the Borteyman Sports Complex, which will host some sporting disciplines at the 13th African Games.
The African Games are scheduled to take place from March 8 to March 23, 2024.
The Borteyman sports complex includes a 1,000-seater swimming pool with a 10-lane competition swimming pool and an eight-lane warm-up swimming pool, as well as a multi-purpose Sports Hall with 1,000 seats for basketball, badminton, netball, table tennis, and weightlifting.
There is also a 500-seater temporary dome for handball, volleyball, judo, karate, taekwondo, fencing, and arm wrestling, as well as a five-tennis court complex with a 1,000-seat Center Court.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday (February 13)), President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana is ready and capable of hosting Africa’s largest sporting event.
“It has been a long journey for us, marked by uncertainties as a result of the unexpected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our infrastructure development plans and overall preparation. However, we showed dedication and resilience.”
“And when all hope appeared lost, we came up with a brilliant idea of adopting a hybrid approach to hosting the game, thus using facilities at the University of Ghana, which were under construction, as well as selected facilities we could develop on time here in Borteyman.”
“This decision to adopt the hybrid method has proved to be a wise one, as facilities both at the University of Ghana and here in Borteyman are ready for the hosting of the 13th edition of the Africa Games.”
“Despite loud calls from some pessimists to withdraw from hosting the tournament, we remained steadfast, and our country can now be proud of the massive sporting infrastructure we’re putting in place for the games. It will leave a significant legacy for the country.”
Mustapha Ussif, Minister for Youth and Sports, stated in his brief remarks that it “is my hope that the facility will be graciously maintained and sustained to continue to keep the international standard for continuous development of our sportsmen and women as well as potential athletes.”
The 13th African Games will feature over 3,500 elite athletes and officials from approximately 49 confirmed African countries. In addition, over 3,000 technical officials and journalists will attend the multisport event in Ghana’s capital city.
With 23 competitive sporting events scheduled for the competition, four of them—table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and badminton—will serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
