African Games: Ghana Wins 9 Medals In Mixed Martial Arts

• Ghana's mixed martial arts team won nine medals in the ongoing 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana
• The medals comprise one gold, three silver and five bronze, which were all won on Tuesday, March 12, 2024
• Despite the massive win in the martial arts discipline, this will not improve Ghana's overall position on the medal table

On Tuesday night, March 13, 2024, the Ghanaian team swept nine mixed martial arts (MMA) medals at the ongoing 2023 African Games.

The team won one gold medal, three silver medals, and five bronze medals, showing their prowess in the sport.

This comes after Ghana had secured five medals in traditional competitive games. Weightlifter Winnifred Ntumi won a gold and two silvers while swimmer Abeiku Jackson earned silver and bronze in the Men's Butterfly.

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MMA medals won't count for Ghana on competitive medal table

Despite the nine medal wins in mixed martial arts, it will not improve Ghana's position on the overall competitive medal table.

Currently, MMA is recognised as a demonstration sport at the games, meaning that medals won in such discipline won't contribute to the overall standing of countries.

A demonstration or exhibition sport is played to make the activity known instead of being for a standard medal.

This was first introduced in the 1924 Summer Olympics when some scholars suggested that unofficial sports serve as demonstrations.

Usually, the Organising Committee include at least one demonstration sport in each edition of the games. The committee chooses a popular sport in the host country.

Some of these sports will become popular in the future and will be recognised as official events in ensuing editions.

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African Games: Abeiku Jackson advances to 100m final, Ghana hopeful of securing another medal

The medals awarded for such sports are of the same design as the others but a bit smaller and are not part of the official medal count.

Bawumia unveils University of Ghana Sports Stadium and Rugby Field

In another story, YEN.com.gh reported that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia commissioned the University of Ghana Sports Stadium and Rugby Field for the 13th African Games in Accra.

The 2024 sports festival will be hosted at the facility alongside the multi-purpose Borteyman Sports Complex from March 8-23, 2024.

In a post on X after the launch of the ceremony on Friday, March 1, Dr Bawumia stated that the stadium and rugby field indicate Ghana's preparedness to host Africa's most fantastic sports festival for the first time in history.

Source: YEN.com.gh