2023 African Games: Armwrestling makes debut, 3 others return
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 13th African Games, Accra 2023, last Friday agreed to add arm wrestling, field hockey, netball and squash to the sporting programme for the showpiece event.
The decision which was announced at a press briefing followed the first Joint Technical Committee Meeting organised by the LOC in Accra.
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Events
Of the events that were on a list of 25 sporting disciplines that will be held at the games, arm wrestling will be making its debut while squash and field hockey would be making a return after 20-year absences and netball would be bouncing back after 12 years.
The disciplines that were listed in the sporting programme by LOC member, Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Dwumfour Williams included athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing chess, cricket, cycling, fencing, football, handball, judo and karate-do.
The remaining sports were rugby, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and teqball which was listed as the only demonstration sport.
Statistically, the 25 events place Accra 2023 on track to become the African Games with the third-highest number of events on its sporting programme after Morocco 2019 and Algeria 2007 with 26 and 27 events respectively.
Selection criteria
Briefing the press about the rigorous selection criteria used to select the sporting disciplines, the Executive Chairman of the LOC of Accra 2023, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare said the process was commenced with the sending of "forms of interest" to 33 sporting confederations to complete and return for assessment.
He said the confederations were required to explain the qualification procedures and processes for their various teams and individual sports, adding that the LOC also took into consideration the number of teams and individual athletes to be based in Accra for the Games.
"The LOC considered availability of facilities required for the Games, availability of the number of technical officials required, the contribution of various international confederations towards the disciplines, expectations of various sports disciplines of the LOC, milestones reached by various sports disciplines with respect to qualification to major international competitions and the expected outcomes of the African Games," he said.
He also disclosed that paralympic sporting disciplines were not included on the schedule because the National Paralympic Committee in collaboration with the African Paralympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee would be hosting the first-ever African Paralympic Games as a separate event after the African Games, Accra 2023 which is scheduled to begin on August 4, 2023, and end on August 19, 2023.