Accra, Feb 09, GNA – A total of 26 counties including Ghana have signed up to play badminton in the upcoming 13th African Games to be held in Accra, Ghana.
Badminton would serve as an Olympic qualifying event therefore participating countries would be battling it out to increase their chances in making it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The sport would be one of the first events to kickstart the African Games even before the official opening ceremony.
It would be held at the newly built Borteyman Sports Complex from March 3-10.
Participating countries are Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Cameroon, and Zambia.
The rest are Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal, Benin, Congo DRC, Congo, Rwanda, Namibia, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Ghana.
Speaking to GNA Sports, President of the Badminton Association of Ghana, Mr Evans Kojo Yeboah mentioned that his federation was ready to host the participating countries for a successful event.
“Although this is being handled by the Local Organising Committee, we are the host federation so we are working closely with the LOC to give visitors the usual Ghanaian hospitality,” he said.
About 30 disciplines would be competing at the 13th African Games and Accra would be hosting over 5000 athletes and officials as well about 300 volunteers and hundreds of media for the games between March 8-23.
The University of Ghana, Legon has been designated as the Games Village.
The venues earmarked for the Games are Borteyman Sports Complex, University of Ghana, Achimota Cricket Oval, Cape Coast Stadium, Alisa Hotel, Laboma Beach, and the Bukom Boxing Arena.
GNA