Sports News of Tuesday, 26 March 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2024-03-26African Games 2023: Ghana could have won more medals if we had prepared well – Dr Ofosu-Asare
Dr. Kwaku Ofosu Asare
Ghanaian
The Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the 13th African Games, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu Asare, expressed his dissatisfaction with Ghana's preparations for its athletes before the recently concluded 13th All African Games in Accra.
Despite the Ghanaian team's impressive achievement of 68 medals, Dr. Ofosu-Asare believes there was a missed opportunity for even greater success.
The Ghanaian delegation
Read full articlesecured a record-breaking total of sixty-eight (68) medals, which included nineteen (19) gold, twenty-nine (29) silver, and twenty (20) bronze, marking the nation's most significant accomplishment to date.
In an interview on The Point of View on Citi TV, Dr. Ofosu-Asare reflected on the potential of Ghana's athletes, suggesting that the country could have earned more medals with increased investment in athlete development.
While recognizing Ghana's commendable performance during the Games, he emphasized the need for increased investment in athletics to pave the way for future successes.
"I have concerns, as a host [Ghana], we should have put in more investment to prepare our athletes. We shouldn't be carried away by these wonderful achievements. We need to invest to move to the next level. We should not be complacent at all.
"We could have won more medals if we had prepared; you cannot reap anything if you don't sow. We have to invest more in the athletes," he recommended.
The Executive Chairman of the 2023 African Games praised the newly constructed facilities as a lasting legacy of the Games, highlighting their role in addressing sports infrastructure gaps.
"I attribute it to the facilities that we built; to me, it will be the most significant legacy we have achieved so far. We have managed to reduce the sporting infrastructure deficiencies, especially for the less popular sports, and we now have a world-class swimming pool," he informed host Bernard Koku Avle.
Dr. Ofosu-Asare also advocated for a Public-Private Partnership to oversee the management of the Borteyman Sports Complex and the renovated Univers.