Ghana has commissioned the new Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra, marking the start of the 25-day countdown to the 13th African Games which the country will host for the first time.
President Nana Akufo-Addo officially opened the state-of-the-art facility by cutting the ribbon, declaring it open for use.
He urged the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to ensure exceptional hospitality for the 8,000 anticipated athletes, officials, journalists and fans.
The complex will host 7 major sports – table tennis, handball, tennis, volleyball, swimming, badminton and triathlon. Notably, table tennis, tennis, triathlon and badminton competitions will serve as Olympic qualifying events for Paris 2024.
It is the first time in history Ghana is hosting the big event and the new Borteyman Complex and other upgrades will provide athletes with fantastic venues to compete.
Key facilities at Borteyman include a 10-lane 1,000-seat swimming arena plus an additional 8-lane warmup pool, a 1,000-seat multipurpose hall suitable for basketball, table tennis and other court sports, a 500-seat temporary dome for martial arts and a 5-court tennis complex with a 1,000-seat Center Court.
With state-of-the-art venues like Borteyman, Ghana hopes to deliver an exceptional African Games experience. The opening ceremony will take place on March 20th in Accra to launch the 12-day competition.
The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport competition held every four years.
A transport simulation exercise had heralded Tuesday’s event as the country takes steps to put everything in fine fettle before the opening ceremony on March 8.
They are organized by the African Union (AU) along with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC).
The event will bring together thousands of elite athletes from over 50 African nations to compete in over 20 sports. Ghana is stepping up preparations to host the largest-ever African Games with over 8,000 athletes and officials expected.
The Borteyman Complex represents a major milestone in readiness efforts. Its world-class facilities will provide top-notch conditions for swimming, tennis, martial arts and other sports. The Construction was fast-tracked by the government to finish in time for the Games.
Ghana hopes hosting the 13th African Games will boost sports development and unity across the continent.
