The plan of the Government of Ghana to build a 50,000 capacity stadium at Borteyman in the Greater Accra Region, at a $200-million cost, to host the 2023 African Games, has been suspended.

The 13th edition of the continental showpiece was expected was to take place in three cities- Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast; and Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last year announced that land had been acquired to construct a stadium in Borteyman to host the games.

Mr. Mustapha Ussif Minister of Youth and Sports told Parliament, in Accra, on Wednesday that the Government would not be able to meet set timelines to complete the project as a result of challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead, the Government would refurbish existing facilities across the country and the construction of non-available essential amenities to host the event, with the University of Ghana’s uncompleted Stadium, to be the center of the games.

“The plan adopted was to construct an Olympic Stadium complex at Borteyman, unfortunately, this plan could not materialise due to the onset of Covid-19,” the Minister said.

He added: “The pandemic delayed the start of the procurement process for the construction of this required facility for the game.

”Due to time constraints, various options were reviewed, some of the facilities for the refurbishment reviewed include, the Accra Sports Stadium, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Cape Coast Stadium, the Winneba College and the Legon Stadium.”

Mr. Ussif made the announcement in response to an urgent, standing in the name of Mr Kobena Mensah Wisdom Woyome, Ranking Member on the Committee of Youth and Sports and MP for South Tongu.

Mr. Woyome wanted to know what steps the Ministry was taking to ensure that “the country hosts successfully the All African Game, 2023, including time lines of completing key tasks or activities leading to the event.”

Mr. Ussif said because of time constraints, the Borteyman facility would no longer go ahead, and the Government of Ghana has decided to fully complete the University of Ghana Stadium to complement facilities which would be built at Borteyman for the 2023 African Games.

Building the Olympic stadium in Borteyman would be in phases by prioritising the urgent construction of facilities which the University of Ghana stadium does not have, the Minister said.

“After careful study of timelines, the Ministry in consultation with the LOC have decided to adopt a hybrid approach to construct the project in phases by leveraging on existing facilities at the University of Ghana and build the other facilities that are not available but are requirements for the hosting of the Games,” the Minister said.

He explained that the refurbishment of the University of Ghana Stadium would include the resurfacing of existing athletics tracks and the construction of new athletics warm-up running tracks.

There would be a-1000 seater competition swimming pool, that is, an eight lane competition swimming pool, eight lane warm-up swimming pool, 500-seater temporary dome (handball, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, basketball; , and 1,000-seater multi-purpose hall of badminton, boxing, volleyball weightlifting and parasports.

Other facilities to be constructed are: 1,000-seater multi-purpose hall (basketball, table tennis, wrestling), five (5) tennis courts complexes, including one thousand (1,000) seater centre court (covered spectator stand) with a 20 capacity VVIP viewing seats).

The other four courts would each have a two hundred (200) spectator seats.

Mr. Ussif assured the House that despite the challenges, the Government of Ghana was committed to staging a successful competition.

The 13th edition of the Africa Games, formerly known as the All African Games would involve 54 participating countries and 25 sporting disciplines.