Ghana well positioned to consider hosting 2026 Commonwealth Games- Sports Minister

Ghana's Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has disclosed the country's readiness to potentially host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

This revelation comes as the fate of the 2026 edition remains uncertain following the withdrawal of original hosts, Victoria, Australia, due to cost concerns.

Malaysia has also shown reluctance to host the event for similar reasons.

In an exclusive interview on GHONE TV's

Read full article.sports show, The Game, with Benjamin Yamoah and Monica Bukari, Mustapha Ussif highlighted Ghana's readiness, citing the country's successful hosting of the African Games.

He mentioned that the President of the Commonwealth Games recently visited Ghana and expressed satisfaction with the country's facilities.

“In fact, the President of the Commonwealth Games was in Ghana recently, and we held several meetings with him. He visited our facilities for the African Games and was impressed. They want an African nation to host the games.”

He emphasized that the Commonwealth Games is seeking an African nation to host the event and Ghana is well positioned for the opportunity.

Ussif also pointed out that Ghana's experience in hosting the African Games demonstrates its ability to host international multi-sport events.

He mentioned that Ghana already has the necessary facilities in place, which would significantly reduce the cost of hosting the Commonwealth Games compared to the African Games.

“We have the existing facilities to host the Commonwealth Games, plus it won’t cost us much to host the games as compared to how much it costs us to host the African games if we decide to”, he added.

This, he believes, makes Ghana a feasible option for hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Ghana recently made history by hosting the African Games for the first time in March 2024.

Ussif's statements indicate Ghana's eagerness to leverage its successful hosting of the African Games to potentially secure the opportunity to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.