The Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr.Mustapha Ahmed has attended the opening ceremony of the 11th edition of the All Africa Games at the newly constructed sixty- thousand- capacity Unity Stadium in Brazzaville, the capital city of the Republic of Congo.
The Minister who was a Special Guest was accompanied to the ceremony by Mr. Joseph Antwi, the Consul-General of Ghana to Congo Brazzaville and Mr. Joe Kpenge, the Director General of the National Sports Authority. The Ghanaian delegation was led to the ceremony by the Chef De Mission, Mr. Saka Acquaye.
The opening ceremony was performed by the President of the Republic of Congo, His Excellency, Denis Sassou-Nguesso .High ranking government delegations and sports officials of various countries were there to grace the occasion. The All Africa Games takes place from the 4th to the 19th of September, 2015, fifty-four (54) countries participating.
Ghana is being represented by a contingent of both local and foreign based athletes in Athletics, Boxing, Football, Volley Ball, Beach Volley, Judo, Karate-Do, Taekwondo and Fencing. The rest are Badminton, Paralympics, swimming, weightlifting, Table Tennis, Tennis and Cycling.
The opening ceremony was marked with pomp and pageantry interlaced with colour and culture as contingents of various participating countries filed past the Presidential Dais in their beautiful outfits. The Ghanaian contingent was resplendent in their, kente vests over white long sleeves shirts and black trousers, as they marched past holding miniature Ghana flags and lifting aloft the banner of Ghana.
There was a display of fireworks late into the night to add colour to the celebrations.
Earlier in the week the Minister witnessed a special football match between the Ghana Black Stars and the Congolese National Team to officially open stadium which ended 3-2 in favour of the Black Stars.
Dr. Mustapha Ahmed also visited the Ghanaian contingent at the Games Village in Kintele to boost their morale and wish them well. He also urged them to be worthy ambassadors of Ghana and live above reproach.
“The people of Ghana are behind you and they have asked me to convey to you their best wishes”, he said.
He urged them to strive hard to win a lot of gold medals for the country.”If you miss the gold, don’t miss the silver; and if you miss the silver, don’t miss the bronze”, he added.