The President of the Ghana Badminton Association (GBA), Mr Evans Yeboah, has said that Team Ghana is ready to give other countries a ‘showdown’ at the 13th African Games set to begin on March 8.
In all, 23 countries are set to compete for medals in badminton as well as a slot for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The countries include Benin, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Algeria and Egypt.
The rest are, Tunisia, Kenya, Eritrea, Djibouti, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, DR Congo, Congo Brazzaville and Ghana.
Speaking to the Times Sports, Mr Yeboah said Team Ghana had prepared well to give the rest of Africa a run for their money.
“We have a formidable team made up of local and foreign players assembled to give the country their best performances in an international meet,” he stated.
The morale in camp, he said, was very high with adequate resources including a psychologist to ensure that the players were in the right condition to win medals.
Fourteen players are currently camping at the National Badminton Centre in Tema, with a hunger to make the nation proud.
Mr Yeboah disclosed that personally, he promised additional funds for any player that wins a medal at the competition.
“Training facilities and other resources are in top shape and expectations are very high among the players and the technical team,” he stressed.
“Ghana is ready for the task ahead. Some of the players are very experienced on the international stage. We are looking forward to getting through to the medal zone,” he added.
He called on fans and their families to troop to the venues to support Team Ghana to make a huge mark at the African Games.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
