Accra 2023 executive chairman Kwaku Ofosu-Asare believes the Ghanaian Government will not pull out of holding the African Games ©Accra 2023

A key official in the running of next year’s African Games has hit back at calls for Ghana to withdraw as hosts, claiming the continental multi-sport event will "boost" the cash-strapped country’s economy.

Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, executive chairman of the Accra 2023 Organising Committee, has insisted that the Ghanaian Government will not pull out of the staging of the Games despite the nation being plunged into an economic crisis.

His comments come a week after former Ghanaian President John Mahama urged the country to revoke its hosting rights for the event.

Mahama, who led Ghana from 2012 to 2017, warned that the Games would "severely stretch our already precarious finances by hundreds of millions of cedis."

The West African is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as inflation and currency depreciation hit record levels.

However, Ofosu-Asare believes that the Games will benefit Ghana as he responded to criticism over the country holding the event in the face of a worsening financial crisis.

"People are complaining that there is economic hardship so we should pull out of the event," said Asare in a report by Modern Ghana.

Former Ghanaian President John Mahama fears staging next year's African Games will cause more financial problems for the country ©Getty Images
Former Ghanaian President John Mahama fears staging next year's African Games will cause more financial problems for the country ©Getty Images

"I want to assure you that the Government would not do that because hosting this tournament would boost the economy."

Ofosu-Asare was speaking at the 2022 Girls Box Tournament at the Accra Sports Stadium.

"Ghana has never hosted the African Games before and boxing is one of the sports that we count on to win medals for the country, we need you more come 2023 August," said Ofosu-Asare.

"I want to assure you girls that we at the LOC [Local Organising Committee] would continue to support female boxing and as we all know next year Ghana will be hosting the rest of Africa, we need you, girls, to win medals for us."

Ghana is scheduled to stage the Games from August 4 to 19 but there are doubts over the involvement of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the Association of African Sports Confederations.

Record levels of inflation has resulted in protests against escalating living costs as food and fuel prices continue to rise.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has recently claimed that talks with the IMF - which started in July - are "at advanced stages, and are going well."