By Rihana Adam
Accra, Mar. 14, GNA – The flags of the 54 African countries participating in the on-going 13th Africa Games have been hoisted at the University of Ghana Games village to officially welcome all athletes into the country.
A three-day event began with over 150 representatives comprising athletes and officers of the competing countries including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Dr. Congo etc. were present at the first day of the flag-raising ceremony on Thursday, 14, 2024.
Also present were, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Mustapha Ussif with his Deputy Evan Opoku, President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) Ben Nunoo Mensah, Local Organising Committee (LOC) Executive Chairman Dr. Ofosu Asare, representatives from the Ga Matste Nii Ahene Nunoo III Paramount Chief of Abola and Atofoatse of the Ga State, Queen mothers and many others.
Nii Ahene Nunoo III welcomed the teams on behalf of the Ga Mantse and encouraged them to win medals to make their nations proud.
He said, “games of such nature break barriers in terms of racism, involvement of culture, loving each other, unite as together as one people in the continent we belong”.
Madam Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) thanked the teams and urged them to visit the tourists’ places after the competition.
She said, “Ghana is the gate way to Africa, I appreciate your coming, there are a lot of tourist places you need to visit to purchase something before you go back, for instance the Kwame Nkrumah Museum, Cultural Centre, Oxford Street etc”.
Mr. Mustapha Ussif thanked the participants on behalf of Ghanaians and urged them to maintain discipline and to abide by the rules and regulations governing the competition.
He said, “on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and good people of Ghana I want to welcome you all for taking part in the Africa games.”
“You are welcome to the game’s village, we are expecting that you have a memorable and unforgettable stay, we have put in all the necessary preparations and all the necessary thing that we are supposed to put here to make your stay here very lovely.
Ghana is your home, you are not strangers, Africa we are one people that is why our forefathers brought this event for us, let use the opportunity to make the games meaningful to all of us.
Dr. Ofosu Asare, Chairman LOC, said flag hoisted serve as a motivation to the athletes and been acknowledge.”
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GNA