Isaac Aboagye Duah, Chef De Mission of Team Ghana and President of the Ghana Tennis Federation, has urged the country to begin preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games following a disappointing performance in Paris.
“We know all the qualifications now; we shouldn’t wait until next year. We need to increase our number of athletes. In Tokyo, we had 14; in Paris, we had 8. This is an area we need to improve,” Aboagye Duah said.
“Each federation must assess its prospects and create a plan for Olympic qualification. For tennis, athletes must rank among the top 64 globally and win the African Games. Qualifying will be challenging for tennis, but other sports like table tennis, weightlifting, and judo may offer more feasible paths.
“Unfortunately, boxing is currently banned due to IOC’s issues with IBA, and its inclusion in LA 2028 is uncertain. We must focus on other disciplines where we have previously won medals.
“We need to prioritize our strengths, especially given limited funding. We can’t spread resources too thin. Consider hockey; can we beat South Africa and represent Africa? If so, we invest; otherwise, we look elsewhere.
“Nigeria focuses on select disciplines to maximize points and qualification. We must adopt a similar strategic approach, concentrating on disciplines with potential for success.
“The lack of football representation in the Olympics since Athens 2004 is concerning, given its popularity in Ghana. However, with concerted effort and focus, we can qualify either the male or female team for LA 2028.”
