“We are poised to host and win,” says Evans Yeboah, President of the Badminton Association of Ghana, as the Africa AirBadminton Championship officially begins today at the Laboma Beach Resort in Accra.
Speaking to The BAC Sports ahead of the tournament, Yeboah described the event as a big opportunity for Ghana to shine on the continental stage once again.
This is the first of five global tournaments, and it’s also the World Cup qualifier for Africa,” he explained. “We are defending champions, and we are ready to prove ourselves again.
Ghana’s hosting of the event has also attracted global attention, with support from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which has sent its head videographer to stream the matches to over 1.3 billion fans worldwide.
Yeboah revealed that Ghana is not only focusing on performance but also on growing the sport: “We’re using this event to create awareness. AirBadminton is not just for indoors anymore, it’s for the beach, the community, and every school-going child.
He added that Ghana now has its first world-certified Technical Official for Beach Badminton and is training 18 more with help from international experts.
Top teams from Mauritius, Egypt, and Nigeria have arrived in Accra, but Yeboah believes Ghana’s understanding of the outdoor format gives them the edge.
These are strong teams, but we beat them last year, and we believe we can do it again, he said.
The championship runs from July 3–6 at Laboma Beach.
