Former Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the 13th African Games, Dr Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, says it is inappropriate to compare Ghana’s expenditure on the continental multi-sport event with the cost of hosting the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Dr Ofosu-Asare made the comments when he appeared before Parliament’s Sports Committee on Wednesday, 16 September, to answer questions over the reported $250 million expenditure on the African Games.
The committee is examining the spending and management of funds used to host the Games amid concerns over the financial arrangements surrounding the event.
Dr Ofosu-Asare argued that the scale and nature of the African Games made comparisons with the 2008 AFCON unfair.
He said the 2008 tournament involved only football and 16 participating countries, while the African Games featured multiple sporting disciplines and a significantly larger number of participating nations.
“That is a mistake we make as a country; everybody is comparing us to 2008 AFCON. Mr Chairman, with all due respect, 2008 was just one discipline; it was just for 16 countries,” he told the committee.
“We hosted 53 countries, 23 disciplines, and eight demonstration disciplines, way beyond AFCON, and that’s the biggest mistake Ghanaians have made, and therefore we should look at it differently from AFCON,” he added.
The 13th African Games were held in Ghana in March 2024, with competitions staged across several venues in Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.
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