Accra 2023 AG impasse resolved …New date to be announced soon

A new date for the 2023 Afri­can Games (AG) will soon be announced following the resolution of an impasse be­tween the African Union (AU), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC).

The African Games to be hosted in Ghana was scheduled for Au­gust, but disagreements between the three stakeholders affected the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) preparation for the event.

The impasse was, however, amicably resolved on Sunday at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa following a meeting facilitated by Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was represented by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, and the Chairperson of the AU, Moussa Mahamat.

At the end of meeting, stake­holders signed a Negotiated Agreement for the resumption of preparations for the African Games.

Mustapha Ussif, signed the agreement for Ghana, Amb. Mina­ta Semate Cessouma, AU Commis­sioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development signed for AU, Mr Mustapha Ber­raf, President of ANOCA signed for his institution while Major General Nasser, President initialed for AASC.

Also at the meeting was the Ex­ecutive Chairperson for the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the African Games, Dr Kweku Ofosu Asare, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the LOC, Mr Reks Brobbey, the Chief Direc­tor of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Alhajo Hafiz Adam and other dignitaries.

The impasse had for the past one and half years impacted ad­versely on Ghana’s efforts to host the 13th African Games, Accra 2023.

Prior to the meeting on Sunday, Dr Ofosu Asare who spoke to the media in Accra said, the govern­ment was committed to ensuring that Ghana hosted the African Games without hitches.

He said, the country could not be blamed for the delay in the completion of the facilities for the event as they were doing everything possible to ensure that Ghana served the entire continent with a spectacle.

“The misunderstanding has been one of our biggest challenges which is no fault of ours, but we are sure that after the agreement is signed, we could move on with the organization,” he stressed.

BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE