Cote d'Ivoire Offers to Host 3rd ECOWAS Games in 2014

21 June 2012
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Accra-Ghana — Cote d'Ivoire has officially offered to host the 3rd Edition of the ECOWAS Under-23 Games in 2014, just as the 2nd Edition of the regional biennial competition being hosted by Ghana gradually winds to a close on Friday, 22nd June 2012 in Accra.

Mr. Francis Njoaguani, Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, which is coordinating the Games on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, confirmed receipt of the formal letter of offer from the Ivorian Embassy in Ghana, noting that the Commission and partners would take a final decision on the offer. He explained that two other Member States had also expressed interest to host the Games, evidence of the growing popularity and interest in the competition, whose inaugural edition was held in Abuja, Nigeria two years ago.

"This shows the high level of enthusiasm generated by the Games among our Member States and Community citizens," affirmed Mr. Njoaguani. "This is good for the Games, the growth of sports and youth development and empowerment in our region." The regional Games serve as catalyst for peace, unity, regional integration, as well as sports and youth development. More than 2,500 sports men and women, coaches, handlers and officials are taking part in the week-long competition in Accra, featuring athletics, handball, volleyball, African wrestling and boxing, which is making its debut at the biennial regional sporting fiesta.

Eleven of the 15 ECOWAS Member States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) are participating in the Accra Games, which were declared open by Ghana's Vice President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, who urged stakeholders to invest in sports to improve income generation and job creation, especially for the teeming youths in the region.

In his address, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, represented by the Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop, urged the athletes to adopt excellence, camaraderie, solidarity and fair play as abiding ethos. Nigeria hosted and won the first edition of the regional Games in 2010.

Read the original article on Ecowas.

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