GOC adopts Inawashiro as pre-games camping for Tokyo 2020

Ben Nunoo Mensah (left) in a handshake with the Hiroshi Zenga, Mayor of Inawashiro

As part of measures to ensure a successful and incident-free participation in the next Olympic Games, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has steadily begun preparation for the Summer Games.

The GOC, led by its President, Ben Nunoo Mensah has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mayor of Inawahsiro, Hiroshi Zenga, for Ghana to use the town as her pre-games camping site.

According to the memorandum, Team Ghana would use all the training facilities for free during the period of pre-games training towards the biggest sports festival.

The team would also be given opportunity to train at well-equipped facilities fully reserved for Ghana at the Inawashiro Town General Gymnasium, where there will be 10 badminton courts, two basketball courts, three volleyball courts, 50 table tennis tables, two judo areas and others such as a boxing ring and an athletics oval as well as facilities for swimming, weightlifting, and other disciplines.

Speaking in an interview with The Finder, the GOC President mentioned that Inawashiro Town will provide an interpreter, bus for transportation, medicals and free accommodation for at least 30 athletes including coaches and staff.

The memorandum said the Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2020 will focus also on safety and security.

Meanwhile, the GOC President has congratulated the newly elected president of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mustafa Berraf of Algeria.

He said it was good that African Sports has a new leader with positive ideas for a new direction and focus.

He called on all Africa Sports leaders to rally behind the new president to make Africa better in terms of building sports facilities, better performances by African athletes on the world stage and the creation of better and bigger opportunities for Africans in sports.

Mustafa Barraf took over from Ivorian General A. Palenfo who has headed the ANOCA for over a decade. The ANOCA elections took place in Tokyo, Japan.