Sports Minister urges focus on positives amid African Games criticism
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif has urged the media to shift its attention from the negative aspects of Ghana's hosting of the 2023 African Games and instead highlight the event's positive elements.
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Speaking at a press conference held on Monday at the University of Ghana Stadium, Ussif defended Ghana's hosting, stating that the country has received international acclaim for organizing what he termed as "spectacular games."
“Every international official that we have engaged is applauding us for hosting spectacular games so far. So let’s all embrace and position Ghana as a sports destination," he said. "There are a lot of positives that we can talk about. Let’s focus on them."
His remarks come in response to criticism from Ghanaian athletes who have raised concerns about the lack of support from authorities.
Winnifred Ntumi, who secured Ghana's initial three medals, including a gold, revealed resorting to using her jersey for weightlifting due to insufficient support. Cyclist Abigail Tetteh disclosed that she and her colleagues were unable to complete the women's race due to having self-funded their bicycles, substituting aluminium ones for the required fiber bicycles.
The badminton team faced transportation challenges, being transported in the back of a pickup to Borteyman for their event. Additionally, team captain Leslie Addo expressed dissatisfaction with being provided with boots of the wrong size for competition.
Despite these obstacles, Ussif maintains that the overall success of the games should not be overlooked.
He attributed the challenges faced by the cyclists to the Cycling Federation's failure to provide a list of required equipment.
