GHANA has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the successful hosting of the second Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) U-23 Games to be held from June 2 to 8.Speaking at the official launch of the biennial sub-regional Games in Accra on Tuesday, Minister of Youth and Sports Clement Kofi Humado said the fixing of the Games was contributing towards the realisation of the ECOWAS Vision 2020 which seeks to move the neighbourhood from”ECOWAS of States” to an “ECOWAS of People.”The aim of the Games, among other things, is to bring the youth and Peoples of the ECOWAS sub-region together through sports and to help foster the spirit of friendship and sub-regional integration.Humado said the timing of the event served as a good preparatory ground for member states’ sportsmen and women for the upcoming Olympic Games to be held in London later this year.The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the Games has been formed and will be inaugurated Tuesday. Arrangements have been made to ensure that the LOC is provided with adequate resources and logistics to the function effectively.The 15-member states of the sub-regional body will participate in five sporting events during the second edition of the Games, including athletics, handball, volleyball, traditional wrestling as well as boxing, which will be featuring for the first time.The six-day Games are expected to attract more than 2,500 athletes of under-23 years.Nigeria hosted the inaugural edition of the Games in Abuja in 2010.
