Athletes, officials divided over African Games postponement

Former Nigerian sprinters Deji Aliu and Falilat Ogunkoya have faulted the postponement of the 2023 African Games earlier scheduled to take place in Ghana from August 4 to 19.
The event has now been postponed to 2024 following a meeting between the African Union, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the Association of African Sports Confederations at the AU headquarters February 19 in Addis Ababa.
The three representatives agreed that preparations could continue and shifted the event to next year, same year the 2024 Olympics Games would be held.
Aliu faulted the organisers for not considering the athletes.

“This is a sad development, staging the African Games in the same year as the Olympics will affect the athletes and this is a big mess on the part of the Ghana Minister of Youth and Sports, this is one of the biggest competitions in Africa and its more like the African Olympics,” Aliu told The PUNCH.
The African Games gold medallist added that even if the event was held January 2024, five months before the Olympic Games, it would still have serious impact on the athletes.
“Any time they put the African Games in 2024, it will mess up the schedules for the athletes. It is difficult for an athlete to prepare for two big events in one year, it is very demanding.

“It takes a minimum of 12 to 16 weeks for an athlete to prepare for a big championship and in between; some countries might boycott the African Games for the Olympic Games.”
Falilat Ogunkoya, retired 400m supremo, who holds the distinction of being the first Nigerian to win an individual track and field medal at the Olympic Games, says it will affect the athletes’ preparations for the two events.