The first physical meeting of the Technical Committee for the African Games (TCAG) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) was held from 24^rd to 26^th July 2023 in the capital city Accra, Ghana, host of the 2023 Games. The meeting was convened to take stock of the preparations thus far and agree on concrete actionable recommendations to advance the state of readiness for the 13^th Edition of the African Games to be held from 08 to 23 March 2024.

The meeting reviewed the various organisational portfolios and timelines, visited the various ongoing construction sites where the Games will take place, and agreed on key collaborative aspects that will accelerate the preparations whilst ensuring the delivery of state of the art facilities as well as professional delivery of a memorable and flagship continental event.

In her remarks, the head of  delegation and Chair of TCAG H.E. Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, AUC Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, underscored that  “We are satisfied with the progress of work on the ground and call on all key partners involved in the process to double their efforts to ensure that the facilities are ready and handed over to the LOC Accra 2023 in December 2023 as promised.”

The Commissioner further emphasized on the need to focus solely on deliverables to ensure that the 13^th Edition of the African Games, an Initiative of the African Union, are held successfully and resonate well to the African Union Agenda 2063 – ‘’The Africa We Want’’.

The Minister for Youth and Sports of the Republic of Ghana, Hon. Mustapha Ussif (MP), on behalf of Ghana government emphasized “Our commitment extends beyond providing sports infrastructure. The Government of Ghana will endeavour to provide the necessary resources and support for all functional areas crucial to the African Games. This unwavering backing reflects our conviction in the transformative power of sports as a tool to enhance human and social development, fostering economic growth, and advancing political cooperation among African nations.” As a legacy of the Accra, 2023 African Games,, the world class facilities will be converted to a tertiary learning institution; University of Sports for Development to promote teaching, learning and training of professional sports men and women in Africa, added the Minister

An initiative of the African Union, the African Games 2023, which initially faced delays, are now confirmed for March 2024 with the Official Opening of the Games Village scheduled on 1^st March 2024, arrival of athletes and officials from 05^th to 07^th March, the Games Opening Ceremony on 8^th March 2024 and the Official Closing Ceremony on 23^th March 2024. The 13th Edition of the African Games will bring together  more than four thousand athletes, competing in various Sports Codes. The meeting discussed and confirmed the Sports Codes that will be included in the 2023 Games, namely:

• Olympic Qualifiers: Badminton, Cycling, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Triathlon, and Wrestling
• Non-Olympic Qualifiers: Arm Wrestling, Athletics, Basketball (3x3), Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cricket, Football, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Karate Do, Rugby, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Weightlifting
• Demonstration Sports: E-Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, Pickle Ball, Scrabble, Speedball, Sambo, Teqball.

The meeting concluded with strong emphasis on the need for more frequent collaborations between the various stakeholders to ensure the smooth progression of the preparations. The meeting scheduled its next virtual and physical meeting in August and September, respectively.

The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, namely: Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, H.E Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, the Executive Chairman of the LOC, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare and members of the LOC, TCAG members, AUC Ag. Director for Social Development, Culture and Sport, Ms Angela Martins, the Coordinator of the African Union Sport Council, Dr. Decius Chipande and Staff of the AUSC, the President of the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC/UCSA), Major General Ahmed Nasser, the Treasure representing the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Ing. Habu Gumel Ahmed and delegates representing the five (5) AUSC Regions of Africa as well as representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and National Sports Authority of Ghana

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Angela Martins| Ag. Director Social Development, Culture and Sports | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | African Union     Commission | E-mail: MartinsA@africa-union.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dr. Decius Chipande | Coordinator  AU Sports Council | African Union Commission |Email: ChipandeD@africa-union.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

                Mr. King David Cartey| Strategic Communication Expert | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | African Union Commission | E-mail: CarteyD@africa-union.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Mr. Michael Fikre | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | Tel: +251 115 517 700 | E-mail: MichaelF@africa-union.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org I
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