'Made in China' sports-related products shining bright at 13th African Games

"Made in China" sports-related products, including the event's torch, equipment and stadium, have played a role in facilitating the 13th African Games, currently underway in Accra, Ghana, which is hosting the tournament for the first time.

According to Ghana's Sports Ministry, hosting the event will be a unique opportunity to rewrite the scripts of the country's sports for the next century.

The torch

Made by a Chinese company named Shandong Taishan Sports Equipment Co, Ltd, the torch for the 13th African Games arrived in Accra on the evening of February 7 local time.

It was later presented to Ghana's Ministry of Youth and Sports by the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana, which helped facilitate the procedure.

The torch relay spanned five African countries – Egypt, Kenya, Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa – to drive support for the Games.

The equipment

Sports equipment bearing the "Made in China" label predominantly feature in the 13th African Games, from the table tennis tables to the weightlifting platforms, earning high praise from both the participants and the sports authorities for its high quality.

Zhang Wei, general manager of the international marketing department at Taishan Sports Group, the event's official equipment supplier, shared with Xinhua the company's pride in being chosen for the African Games. It's Taishan Sports Group's first time supplying equipment for the event. The company's equipment will be used in competitions across 23 sporting disciplines.

"It's our first time to become the supplier of the African Games; we feel very thrilled that our sports equipment has been positively recognized by African participants," said Zhang, adding all the sports equipment provided is of international standard and could be used in Olympic Games as well.

"Besides that, we have a team of engineers here assisting the installation and use of all the equipment, and we feel honored to play a part in the success of the Games," Zhang added.

Mustapha Ussif, Ghana's minister for youth and sports, hailed the quality of China-made equipment, saying they are the "legacies" of the African Games.

"I've been to all the centers where the competition is currently ongoing, and the athletes are very excited about the facilities that were put in place," he said.

"We are going to have more modern and world-standard equipment for our teams to use for training for future competitions as part of the legacies for this game," the minister said.

The stadium

The China-aided Cape Coast Sports Stadium in the Central Region of Ghana is set to host women's football during the 13th African Games, Xinhua reported.

The stadium, constructed by the China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation, was commissioned in 2016.

The 13th African Games has brought together more than 4,000 athletes competing in 27 sports disciplines.

Eight official qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games have been included in the 13th African Games, which runs from March 8 to 23.

They are athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon and wrestling.

Non-Olympic qualifier events are arm wrestling, basketball (3X3), beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cricket, football, handball, hockey, judo, karate, rugby, taekwondo, volleyball and weightlifting.

The demonstration sports are e-sports, mixed martial arts, pickleball and sambo.

(With input from Xinhua)