2023 Africa Basketball Festival kicks off with colourful opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 2023 edition of the Africa Basketball Festival was held at the Bukom Boxing Arena on Friday, December 15, 2023.

The event which was graced by representatives from the Ga Mantse office, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, executives of the Ghana Basketball Federation and officials from the diplomatic community marked the beginning of the only high-profile festive period event that marries sports, music and fashion.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yaw Sakyi Afari, the Chief Executive Officer of RITE Sports, who are the organizers welcomed all the participating teams and assured that all measures necessary for a hitch-free and successful event have been implemented.

Yaw Sakyi disclosed that the event which is backed by the Year of Return secretariat provides sports, entertainment and music lovers a platform to enjoy all three under one umbrella.

He noted that from humble beginnings, the program has expanded dramatically over the years and now ranks among the best Christmas shows in the country.

Ato Van-Ess, the president of the Ghana Basketball Federation, described the 2023 edition of the ABF as a historical which has eight teams competing.

While commending RITE Sports for their dedication to the promotion and growth of basketball, Ato Van-Ess urged basketball promoters to take cues from the consistent delivery of RITE Sports.

He detailed the rise of ABF from 2019 and expressed confidence that the event will continue the upward trajectory and soon become a continental showpiece.

He believes that it is a celebration for basketball in Ghana and that the players who will be selected to compete should give account of themselves as there will be scouts.

The ceremony also saw the unveiling of the jerseys for the eight teams with Team Ghana promising to retain the trophy they won last year.

The countries competing in the three-day event are Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, United of America and France.

Despite being a curtain raiser for the final game on Sunday, December 17, 2023, the game between the University of Ghana and Accra Technical University has been billed to be the most exciting of all the games due to the documented rivalry between the two countries.

On Sunday, there will be musical performances from some of Ghana’s foremost musicians as well as some up-and-coming rappers who will be engaging in lyrical battles via the Adom FM Kasahari Level program.

Some of the finest fashion designers in the country will also line up to display various outfits from Beautiful Beneath and other fashion companies.

Today's lineup of activities features three games. The opening game of the day is between Ghana vs Togo with Team US taking on France in the second game. The day will be wrapped with a match between Nigeria vs Liberia.