In the fantastic city of Spokane, Washington, where the 2023 BWF World Junior Badminton Championship is taking place, Ghana made history and a name for the country, with the teenagers fighting as if their very existence depended on not giving up the events.
The world championships also serves as an Olympic qualifier for the Paris 2024 global event.
Before this, the Ghana Badminton team participated in South Africa, Nigeria events and a National Open last summer.
A 16-man contingent of players and officials led by Ghana’s Badminton President, Yeboah Evans, is all the motivation the players need to self-motivate themselves, chalking the historic most significant achievement in the mixed team event by any African country in 23 years of the world tournament.
Team Ghana ready for a game
Over 54 countries are in the US fighting for honours, with Ghana presenting a few players for the tournament and registering gains that can only inspire a more significant achievement sooner than later.
The young players, with some of them travelling outside the country for the first time, have impressed even officials of their opponents, drawing commendations for having a great future ahead towards the 2023 African Games, 2024 Paris Olympics, 2026 Youth Olympics, and other international open and invitational events.
Ghana became the first African country to reach the finals of the Mix Team Group, where they lost to Norway.
Ghanaian Players Andy Amofa and Elvis Osei won the Mixed Team Event’s 4th and 5th best players, whilst Moslena Adu placed 10th in the overall player rankings.
Ghana coach gives instructions to players
Ghana had to settle for second place in the group match, which nonetheless marked a historic achievement. Amofa committed a rare service error but quickly recovered, delivering a cross-court smash to regain the lead at 11-09.
In a crucial moment, Amofa surprised Norway’s Aldrin Nelson by returning a shuttle that appeared to be heading wide, but the Norwegian managed to keep it close to the net. Amofa returned the shuttle and secured the point with a well-executed backflip to the other side of the court, taking an 11-09 lead.
Despite Nelson saving two match points, he failed to return a body smash by Amofa near the net. With a final score of 3-0, Ghana lost the last game and handed Norway a winning match, concluding the Ghanaian players one of their career’s most riveting badminton games.
Ghana performed far better than the earlier 2017 World Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and are in pole position for the 2024 France Olympics Qualification ranking with four other international matches until the deadline.
The Ministry of Youth & Sport, The accra2023 secretariat, the Ghana Olympic Committee, the Ghana Textile Manufacturing Company, the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, Super Sports Blitz, parents and some individual donors have supported us on this journey of future hope for our young lads.
Credit: Ghana Badminton
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