Ghana dangles $3000 for gold

To inspire its athletes competing at the 12th African Games holding in Rabat, Morocco, Ghana has promised to reward individual gold medalists with $3000 (N1.05M) for their efforts.

Also, silver and bronze medallists are expected to smile home with $2,000 and $1,000 while team gold medallists will get $2,000.

To compete in Morocco, Ghana has been allocated a budget of almost $1.28 million (£1.05 million/€1, 15 million), through the Government’s Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) and the National Sports Authority (NSA).

The funding is expected to cover all expenses for the Ghanaian team and officials at the 12th African Games, which begins today in Rabat in Morocco.

Kwame Asiamah from the MoYS approved the budget and NSA director-general and International Games and Competitions Committee (IGCC) chairman Peter Twumasi said it was important for the figure to be made public.

“The IGCC team has done a great job since it was inaugurated to oversee to all issues relating to the upcoming African Games in Morocco,” Twumasi told the Ghana News Agency.

“We presented a budget to government through the Youth and Sports Ministry and we have gotten approval, so it is important we make it available to Ghanaians.”

Twumasi said the budgeted funds would include bonuses for all the athletes, coaches and officials.

For team events, each member will be rewarded with $2,000, $1,500 (£1,200/€1,350) and $1,000 respectively for winning gold, silver or bronze. Ghana will send a contingent of 139 people, made up of 91 athletes, 29 coaches and 19 management members, to Rabat.

In October 2018, Ghana was announced as the hosts of the 2023 African Games. The 2019 African Games will run through until August 31.