Assistant Secretary to the Vice President, Ibrahim Agyei who doubled as the government representative on the LOC of the 13th African Games has indicated that even though entry to the 13th African Games was made free to the public, he believes there’s a danger in devaluing events when they are free.
The 13th African Games was highly patronized across various venues as Ghana hosted what is believed to be one of the historic events in its sporting calendar.
Reacting on the sidelines in an exclusive interview with Citi Sports on if future events should be made free for the public, Ibrahim Agyei indicated that a little token would make Ghanaians feel they are stakeholders in our sports.
“There’s a danger in making everything free. I’m of the view that sometimes a little contribution makes the client own the space, so something nominal would be fine. ”
“let’s create that space for those talent to come up and lead Ghana, likewise with sports, why do I say pay something nominal? When you pay something nominal you feel like you have a stake in it and it disciplines us to appreciate what we have. Something nominal like Ghc 5 cedis would gain you entry to the facility, and by paying something you know that you own it. When you own something, you value it more, protect it more, maintain it better and you cherish it.”
The success of the 13th African Games has sparked interest in the Confederation of African Athletics to invite Ghana to bid for hosting the 2026 African Championship in Athletics.