Accra: The National Armwrestling team, Golden Arms, paid a courtesy call on Mr. Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister of Sports and Recreation following their recent success at the 14th Africa Armwrestling Championship held in Abuja, Nigeria.
According to Ghana News Agency, the visit, led by the federation's leadership, aimed to present medals won and express gratitude to the Ministry for its ongoing support. Ghana, a dominant force on the continent, secured third place by winning a total of 53 medals in both the left and right arm events.
Mr. Kofi Adams, addressing the team, noted that Armwrestling, despite limited funding, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing federations in Ghana. He recalled the team's outstanding performance at the 13th African Games, a moment of national pride that he had long admired even before taking office.
He emphasized that Armwrestling is one of the disciplines the government is keenly monitoring in the forthcoming continental games in Egypt. The Sports Minister commended the team for their efforts and urged the heads of security services to consider recruiting athletes into their various agencies.
Mr. Kofi Adams stated that his Ministry, along with the International Olympic Committee, is in discussions to follow the appropriate procedures to include lesser-known sports like Armwrestling in future Olympic events. The Member of Parliament for the Buem Constituency pledged the government's support for Armwrestling and called on corporate Ghana to also extend necessary support to federations.
Mr. Charles Osei Asibey, President of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation, expressed gratitude to the Minister for his desire to see Armwrestling grow both in Ghana and across the continent. He mentioned that despite the sport's progress, the team continues to struggle with the lack of a dedicated training center to adequately prepare for major championships.
He also applauded the Minister for advocating the recruitment of athletes into security services. The GAF President stated that with the needed support from the government, winning medals will be guaranteed. Since 2016, the Golden Arms have won 405 international medals in less than 20 championships.
