Hot!
13th African Games: Ghana is ready!
• One of the new tennis courts at Borteyman
In less than a week from today, Ghanaian sports fans would witness live the biggest continental sporting spectacle – 13th Africa Games kick-off on Friday at the University of Ghana Sports Complex in Accra.
It is expected to be opened with a colourful and outstanding opening ceremony which for the first time would see the facility filled to its brim.
It is historic in the annals of Ghana sports because it will be the first on the soil but it is also historic in the competition’s own history as the edition to have suffered a lot of setbacks.
The buildup and preparations witnessed several glitches ranging from stalling of works, the slow pace of work, misunderstanding between the owners of the Games and requiring Ghana government interventions at certain times plus many others.
In the midst of that storm, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) led by its Executive Chairman, Dr Kwaku Ofosu Asare kept assuring Ghanaians the Games would come on.
Possibly, some of those assurances began to sound like a rhetoric in the ears of pessimists, considering the evidence available and maybe, forced the LOC to look for ‘further and better particulars’ to convince them.
That may be the rationale behind the LOC’s tactic of associating with every local sporting event in the last days to use the platforms to assure Ghanaians about the readiness to host one of the finest games in the history of the competition.
But Tuesday’s assurance from the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his message to Parliament on the State of the Nation address (SONA) appears to have calmed nerves about the true state of readiness.
Indeed, it is an event every Ghanaian must be excited about because of the long term gains and impact it will have on sports development and promotion in Ghana.
For the first time in over two decades, Ghana will boast of a world-class athletics oval and open our territory to hosting international championships.
Indoor events would also not be left out as their respective federations are set to benefit from the world-class venues constructed for the Games.
The University of Ghana would be a major beneficiary with its seemingly
abandoned sports complex undergoing refurbishment and installation of the needed logistics to make it ready to host international games.
In all, the Games would attract over 7,000 athletes and officials from the member states and participate in 29 sporting disciplines categorised into Olympic qualifiers, non-Olympic qualifiers and demonstration sports.
The Olympic sports qualifiers include athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon and wrestling.
Categorised under non-Olympic sports are arm-wrestling, beach volley, basketball 3×3, boxing, chess, cricket, football, handball, hockey, judo, karate-do, rugby, taekwondo, volleyball, and weightlifting.
E-sports, mixed martial arts, pickle ball, sambo, scrabble and speech ball will serve as demonstration sports.
Interestingly, what is missing in the preparation of Team Ghana towards the Games is the popular ‘Host and Win’ cliché that often characterises meetings of this nature.
Had it been a football championship, this axiom would have flown everywhere but why it has vanished from the lips of local athletes and officials should clearly send a certain signal to fellow Ghanaian fans to be modest in their expectation.
Just like the Olympic Games, Ghana is not an established force in such events, always identifying disciplines with competitive advantage to seek honours.
That status would not change drastically but an increase in her medal haul would justify the huge expenditure made on the Games as we look into the future with hope.
By Andrew Nortey
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
