Opinions of Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Columnist: Anthony Obeng Afrane
2022-09-21Mahama supported lesser-known sports
Former President, John Dramani Mahama
The passion Ghanaians have for football has made sporting activities such as badminton, cricket, beach volleyball, and the like unattractive.
Nonetheless, President Mahama decided to change the trend by not only supporting and creating a conducive environment for these lesser-known sports to flourish but also took interest in sporting activities for the disabled.
The interventions in these sporting
Read full articleendevours by HE John Mahama have yielded results and continue to accrue benefits.
Proof of these is evidenced in some international championships which I am going to catalog.
In badminton, Ghana won 2 bronze medals in October 2013, at the Nigeria International Championship, Ghana won gold at the Morocco International Championship in November 2013 and improved this feat with a gold and a silver at the Botswana International Championship in December 2013.
The under-19 Beach volleyball international competition held in Benin in February 2013, gave Ghana gold in the girls' division while the boys brought home silver.
Cricket featured prominently in Ghana's quest for medals in international games. During the ICC Africa Regional Division 2, Under-19 Tournament in South Africa in March 2013, the Ghana team won gold which qualified them to participate in another regional tournament in Kenya.
Gold was also won during the International Beach Handball Tournament held in Togo in August 2013.
There are others: Ghana won a gold and a silver during the Africa Judo Championship in Mauritius in October 2013.
There was a medal haul during the Africa Weightlifting Championship in Morocco in November 2013. A total of 19 medals were won, 6 silver honours and 13 bronze laurels.
Disabled sports were not left out. Alem Mumuni won bronze at the International Paracycling Road and Time Trial in Canada in April 2013. Besides, Ghana's deaf football team won silver during the West Africa Deaf Football Championship in Benin in November 2013.
It is worth noting that all these were achieved when Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah was the Minister for Youth and Sports under President Mahama's Administration.
