The Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, says government has provided enough support for athletes participating in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Ghana is being represented by 100 athletes, who will participate in 13 sporting disciplines including para weight lifting. The other disciplines Ghana will participate in are: athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, hockey, judo, para powerlifting, squash, swimming, table tennis, triathlon and weightlifting.
Addressing Parliament on Ghana’s participation in the Commonwealth Games, the sector Minister indicated that the Ministry has extended strong support to the various disciplines to ensure that athletes get ready for the event.
“Birmingham 2022 will be Ghana’s 17th participation in the Commonwealth Games since our first appearance in 1954. And having won over 50 medals in our past appearances, we are looking forward to improving on our performance at the last Games in Gold Coast, Australia in 2022.
“Mr. Speaker, Commonwealth Games 2022 has already proven to be a unique competition, as for the first time in a global, multi-sport event, there will be more women’s sports events than men and this year’s edition is also scheduled to have more para events.
“I am happy to inform the House that Ghana’s delegation is well represented by women, with 40 of our delegation being women. We are also being represented in para weightlifting.
“Our commitment as a country to the Commonwealth Games, through successive regimes, has never been in doubt. It is the reason the Ministry of Youth and Sports has also extended strong support to the various sports disciplines to ensure that our athletes get ready for this event”.
The Member of Parliament for YAGABA-KUBORI also explained the importance of Ghana’s participation in the Commonwealth Games.
“Mr. Speaker, Ghana has been an integral part of the Commonwealth, and for over six decades since our maiden participation in the Games, we have been part of a union which has always brought together a third of the world’s population to promote friendship through sports.
“Indeed, the power of sports to bring people and nations together; big or small, rich or poor, developed or developing, is clearly manifest in the Commonwealth Games.
“While the benefits to the nation, in terms of improving bilateral relations are enormous, participating in the Commonwealth Games, also give our promising young athletes in schools the opportunity to compete internationally and open doors for them.
“Mr. Speaker, I wish to request the support and prayers of the House, as our athletes lift up our flag in Birmingham”, he concluded.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games starts from July 28 – August 8, 2022, incidentally, is the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games since its inception of the Games in 1930.
By Herbert Boakye Yiadom
