African Games
South African Ladies Claim First Ever African Games Table Tennis Medal –
For the first time in the history of the African Games, the South African female team has claimed her first medal after settling for a bronze medal at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
The ladies have also equalled their men’s record after the Shane Overmeyer-led team claimed a bronze medal at Algiers 2007.
It was the quarterfinal tie against host – Ghana that was the icing on the cake for the South Africans after coming from 2-0 down to beat the Ghanaian ladies 3-2 to book their place in the medal zone.
When the tie was 2-2, it was Danisha Patel that rose to the occasion against Ghana’s Celia Baah-Danso that even when Celia took a 2-0 lead, the experience of Patel came to the fore as she was not disturbed by the home girl support from the fans.
The 31-year-old carried knowing what was at stake and she leveled up to win the game at 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8. The win practically handed Patel and her teammates a place in the medal zone.
But their journey to improve their medal to a higher one was thwarted by Nigerian ladies led by veteran Offiong Edem with a 3-0 defeat in the semifinal.
A satisfied Patel said: “We are excited that we are able to win a medal at last especially with all the support this team has got from the South African Table Tennis Board (SATTB).
“Most especially when we defeated our common rival Angola was a sweet victory for us and the match against Ghana really put a lot of pressure on us.
“But even as experienced as I am I cannot tell you that I was not under any pressure during the match because every match is different.
“We hope and believe this medal will bring more development to the sport and more female players will embrace the sport and work harder to be the best.”
Patel who is attending her third African Games said she would continue to play until injury stops her while affirming her passion for the sport.
Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who superintended the 13th African Games held in Accra Ghana in February has died.
He was the Chief Operating Officer of the Accra 2023 Local Organising Committee (LOC).
According to sources in Ghana, Dr. Owusu-Ansah was a sports administrator and coach, and thus left behind, a significant legacy in the world of sports.
Dr Owusu-Ansah, a former Chief Executive of the National Sports Authority (NSA), was widely regarded as an encyclopaedia of sports knowledge.
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Owusu-Ansah, a former national chief athletics coach, authored the best-selling book “Principles of Abundant Living.”
He played a pivotal role in establishing the Department of Sports Studies at the College of Education at the University of Ghana. Additionally, he served as the Director of the Sports Directorate at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The Africa Students Football Union (ASFU) has expressed condolences over the passing of a patron of the union, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who served as the COO of the just concluded 13th Africa Games held in Ghana.
Dr. Owusu-Ansah’s death was announced on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
According to a release by the executive secretary of the union, Femi Abioye, Owusu-Ansah until his death contributed immensely to sports development on the continent and the world at large.
He left an indelible impact on the lives of students-athletes coupled with sports administration across Africa countries.
The ASFU’s President, Prof. Oluwaseun Omotayo, who was shocked at the news of the demise of Dr. Owusu-Ansah described the deceased as a pillar, saying his departure has left a great vacuum in sports management.
He relished the deceased contribution and unwavering dedication to ASFU, saying the Union would miss the deceased.
“We will miss Dr. Owusu-Ansah, whose contribution to sports, knew no bounds. He was always ready to serve. He helped build the Union and was pivotal to the Union programmes. We will surely miss him,” he said.
He extended the Union condolences to all those affected by this loss, praying God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
African Games
A milestone as Egypt becomes the first country to get 100 gold medals in African Games
As the curtain is drawn on the 13th African Games in Egypt, the traditional overall winners, have this time hit a milestone.
They have become the first to hit a 100 gold medal mark in the 59 year history of the games.
As at Saturday morning, they have amassed 101 gold medals, 54 more than that of the second placed Nigeria
The biggest star of the Egyptian team is swimmer Marwan Elkamash, who won five gold medals in the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x200m relays, all in freestyle.
But medal haul is still short that that of his compatriot, Faten Afifi who fished out seven gold medals from the pool.
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