Achimota Turf Wickets on course for 2023 Africa Games, says GCA

The Ghana Cricket Association (GCA), which recruited two Nigerian experts to help revamp the turf wickets at the Achimota Cricket Ovals, has said that the job is on course to ensure a good environment for cricket when Ghana hosts the rest of Africa in the 2023 African Games.

With cricket considered one of the sports to be competed for in Africa’s biggest sporting event, the GCA has found it necessary to get turf wickets, which is generally, the standard for the gentlemen’s game.

In a recent release, GCA Vice President, Oscar Provencal, said they are on course to make history.

“As part of preparations for the African Games in 2023, we are currently working on the construction of our turf wickets and we have been supported by our friends from Nigeria, who have been involved in putting turf wickets in their own country.

“We are on course with the necessary facilities to have cricket played for the first time in the history of the African games in 2023,” he said.

Supervised by Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) President, Uyi Akpata, Olayemi Amusa (an engineer) and Francis Ategeka (NCF’s Chief groundsman) are the experts helping with the construction of turf wickets at the Oval A and B inside the Achimota Secondary School.

Late last month, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman and Operations Officer of the Ghana 2023 Africa Games, Dr. Ofosu-Asare and Dr. Owusu Ansah inspected the progress of work so far done at the Achimota Oval.

The Turf wickets are expected to be officially handed over to the LOC in September 2022.

Ghana is preparing to host the 13th Africa Games in August 2023 in Accra.