Ahead of the 13th edition of the African Games set to unfold in Accra come March 2024, Ghana Athletics is actively contemplating South Africa as the ideal locale for Team Ghana’s intensive training camp.
Despite an undetermined camping date, officials are strategizing to optimize the preparation of athletes for this momentous tournament, where Ghana will host for the first time amid the participation of 54 countries and 30 sporting disciplines – eight of which serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The choice of South Africa is underlined by the belief that its weather conditions will be particularly advantageous for the athletes gearing up for the competition. A critical factor influencing this decision is the current location of many Ghanaian athletes, predominantly based in the USA, where they predominantly train indoors owing to the harsh winter weather. The indoor facilities, by comparison, are not only smaller but also differ significantly from the outdoor counterparts, prompting the need for a location with superior outdoor facilities and climatic conditions conducive to training.
Bawa Fuseini, speaking at a press conference on Monday, shed light on the rationale behind considering South Africa: “We have indoor season and outdoor season.” He further explained, “The indoor season ends in March, so from now until March, all our foreign-based athletes will be training in indoor facilities in the USA especially. Because of the winter in that country, you cannot train outside, so the only place in the world where there will be no winter is South Africa – they will have summer when the Europeans have winter.”
The emphasis on outdoor facilities stems from the limitation of indoor spaces, compelling the need for athletes to transition to a setting where they can access more expansive training grounds. Additionally, South Africa’s high-altitude environment, akin to that of Kenya, presents a strategic advantage. Bawa Fuseini elaborated, stating, “Instead of allowing athletes to train in the indoor facilities, which are smaller than the outdoor facilities, we would like to bring them where they can have access to outdoor facilities. Secondly, South Africa is a high-altitude area just like Kenya so training at a high altitude area to compete at a low altitude area (Ghana) is an advantage.”
As the preparations unfold, the final decision on the training camp’s location remains pending, with considerations extending to other potential sites, including Cape Coast. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Team Ghana arrives at the African Games well-prepared, leveraging every possible advantage in their quest for success on home soil.