Deprived of international competition for 15 years due to the threat of Islamic terrorism, Algeria is primed and ready this week to host the ninth edition of the All Africa Games.
The North African state will be only the second country after Nigeria in 1973 and 2003 to host the event on two occasions, having already been the venue for the Games in 1978.
The event, which will take place in the capital, Algiers, will be attended by 52 African nations with 8 000 athletes and officials expected to descend upon the seaport city to compete in 27 disciplines.
The original 28 disciplines were later whittled down to 27 after water polo was dropped from the itinerary due to the lack of competitors.
Head of the African Games Organising Committee (COJA), Djaafar Yefsah, believes that organising the Games is way of showing Algeria in its best light and at the same time will stand Algerian athletes in good stead for next year’s Olympics in Beijing.
”Accepting the challenge to organise these Games when there were no takers has showed Algeria has guts and will show Africans the real face of Algeria.
”It will also be good preparation for the Algerian athletes for the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing.”
Algeria sit in fourth place on the overall medals table after eight editions of the Games, which are held every four years.
Egypt, Nigeria, who topped the medals count four years ago on home soil in Abuja, and South Africa are the three leading counties in the event. — AFP
