African Games: The colours and the sports of the continent

By Kudra Maliro

Ghana hosts the 13th edition of the African Games featuring about 4,000 athletes in 29 sporting disciplines from March 8 to 23.

The event organised by the African Union (AU) on behalf of its member states every four years is much more than sports, the president of the host country Nana Akufo-Addo said.

"These Games will showcase the unique cultural heritage and sporting talent of the African continent and its diversity," the Ghanaian president said in the capital Accra where the games kicked off last Friday.

There are athletes representing countries from across the continent in the sporting extravaganza.

The games include basketball, football, tennis, weightlifting, cycling, swimming, handball, volleyball, and wrestling.

Some of the winners will qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024, according to organisers. The event is being supported by 3,000 officials and 2,000 volunteers.

In the football section, eight nations in the men’s division, including hosts Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, and Benin, will take on each other to be crowned champions of the competition.

The 13th African Games are being held in the cities of Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast.