IF there was nothing to be gained from hosting sub-regional, regional and global tournaments, countries would not go to the extent of setting up committees to lobby sporting authorities for the right to host those tournaments.
Indeed, countries go all out to build new stadia, rehabilitate existing ones, put up new infrastructure and build roads, all at great cost, in order to win the right to host tournaments.
Ghana’s hosting of the 26th Africa Cup of Nations tournament (Ghana 2008) cannot be delinked from the benefits that accrue to hosting countries of sporting events.
It is in this regard that we agree with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mrs Oboshie Sai-Cofie, that Ghana was already “the winner of the tournament” for the mere fact that it was hosting it.
“Ghanaians should recognise the fact that we have already won in prestige, revenue generation, in showcasing our beautiful country and its people, we have won because of the fact that our children will grow to acknowledge that their country is considered important in the global environment,” Mrs Sai-Cofie said in an interview.
These are fine sentiments which the DAILY GRAPHIC would want every Ghanaian, male and female, young and old, to share, since they capture the very essence of hosting an international tournament of this nature.
If for nothing at all, the tournament will bring with it commercial and economic gains which will permeate all sectors of the economy, not to talk about the exposure the country will get from TV screening of the matches worldwide, especially the opening and closing ceremonies, the re-branding of the country’s image abroad and the exposure of our tourist attractions and potential to the outside world.
We at the DAILY GRAPHIC can only advise our compatriots to put our best foot forward during the period of the tournament, so that our visitors will have a confirmation of the legendary Ghanaian hospitality, culture and tradition.
We should also do well to keep our immediate environs tidy, not only for the duration of the tournament but also after. This way, we will cut down expenses on health care and the need to clean our environment from time to time.
The DAILY GRAPHIC has never been comfortable with the refrain that not much excitement is being generated in the run up to the tournament. This is because it is the collective responsibility of all to generate that excitement in our individual and collective ways.
We recall that in the run up to the climax of the Ghana @ 50 celebrations on March 6, 2007, the same complaints were made about the lack of excitement, but we all witnessed the overwhelming euphoria which the D-day itself came up with.
We acknowledge the fact that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is doing everything to make the tournament a resounding success and so all of us should contribute our quota by way of keeping our environment clean, decorating streets and vehicles in the national colours and generally helping to whip up enthusiasm for the event.
The government has done a lot in rehabilitating two stadia and constructing two new ones for the event. We are proud to say that the provision of those four facilities has put Ghana on the threshold of hosting bigger tournaments like the All-Africa Games, the Commonwealth Games and even the World Cup. All we need to do is maintain them and add to them.
In the meantime, we should remember that whether we win the cup or not, we have already ‘won’ by hosting the 26th Africa Cup of Nations (Ghana 2008).
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