In a thought-provoking speech at the AfroSport 2023 Summit which took place at the International Conference Center on the second and third of August, Ben Nunoo Mensah, the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), highlighted a concerning trend that has plagued African sports: the apparent decline in investment and preparation for athletes. With the 2024 Africa Games on the horizon, Mensah's words serve as a wake-up call to the continent's sporting community, urging them to reevaluate their approach and prioritize the nurturing of young talent.
"I believe the future is very important. The future is our youth. These are the rising stars. If we want to win medals at the Olympic Games and African Games, then we need to invest in our youth," stated Mensah, emphasizing the significance of investing in the grassroots level to secure a brighter sporting future for Africa.
Mensah's concern is not unfounded. "We need to invest in Sports. For close to 30 years, Ghana has never won a medal at the Olympics. The last medal we won was in 1992 when the Black Meteors won bronze. It never happened again till 2021 when our very talented boxer Samuel Takyi won bronze," he lamented. This stark gap in achievements underscores the need for a collective shift in focus and resources towards nurturing talent from a young age.
The decline in African boxing talent, in particular, is a phenomenon that Mensah found troubling. "In fact, the medal won by Takyi was the only medal won by an African country in boxing. Where have all the great African boxing talents gone to?" he questioned, highlighting Africa's historic prowess in the sport.
"What has happened to us? Africa has been the greatest boxing talent in the world. That’s something we are not doing right," Mensah stated with evident concern, urging African nations to reflect on their sports development strategies and make necessary changes.
The event held at the Accra International Conference Centre provided a critical platform for stakeholders in African sports to engage in constructive discussions on how to revive the continent's athletic glory. As preparations intensify for the 2024 Africa Games, Mensah's words serve as a rallying cry for collective action – to channel resources, expertise, and passion into nurturing the next generation of athletes, fostering an environment where they can thrive and bring honor to the continent on the international stage.
In the end, Africa's sporting future rests on its ability to invest in and empower its youth, to create an ecosystem where their talents can flourish and where the continent's athletic legacy can be restored. The challenges are immense, but the potential for growth and achievement is equally immense. It is a call to action that African nations cannot afford to ignore.
For more on the 2023 AfroSport Summit visit: https://afrosportsummit.com/