President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, has said that he is optimistic the 2023 African Games will come off as scheduled.
Ghana is set to host the event in August this year but preparations for the competition have been delayed due to financial constraints and the ailing Ghanaian economy.
There have been calls for the games to be postponed as the country is unlikely to meet the deadline for the staging of the games.
Sharing his view on whether the African Games should be postponed, the GOC president said, “I believe work is still in progress. There have been real challenges that started with COVID-19. Also, ANOCA and the African Union, which own the games, have had their own problems. Just recently, there has been light at the end of the tunnel.
“I am hopeful that the games will begin. For now, we haven’t gotten to the stage where the games would be postponed or cancelled. We should all be optimistic and push for a successful hosting of the event. “Anybody who is working should focus on having the games in August,” he added.
The Borteyman Sports Complex is expected to host 11 sports during the 2023 African Games
Ghana was awarded the 2018 and is scheduled to be held from August 4 to 19.
By Herbert Boakye Yiadom