An interactive celebration of sport and participation inspires audiences at the 2024 African Games. Sports Equity™ Lab and Swiss sportswear brand at The ‘Right To Run’ program joined forces to present the ‘African Giants’ installation this week at the University of Ghana.
Images of six of Africa’s most iconic athletes light up the front wall of the University of Ghana Sports Stadium and are the focus of all visitors approaching the venue of the 2024 African Games in Accra. The installation – Ghana’s first sports interactive LED – invited attendees to contribute their photos, symbolizing solidarity with the athletes and embodying their stories. The submitted photographs collectively form the images of the African Giants and connect visitors to the ambitious athleticism of African athletes.
Chosen for their remarkable achievements, the featured sports figures include athlete Hellen Obiri, the only woman to win world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country along with Feryal Abdelaziz, the first Egyptian karateka to win Olympic gold. Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe, the first Ghanaian to qualify for the 2020 Paralympics. Noemi Alphonse, the first Mauritian para-athlete to reach a Paralympic final. Mpumelelo Mhlongo, the Paralympic medalist in several world championships. and Abedi Ayew Pele, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
“Despite facing a myriad of challenges – limited resources, inadequate funding and systemic biases – Africa continues to produce a constellation of stellar athletes who defy the odds and carve their names into sporting history year after year and generation after generation,” founder of SEL Prof. points out Dr. Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu. “We are grateful for the opportunity to add value to the Games with this campaign. demonstrating our unwavering commitment to driving inclusion and the transformative power of sport as a catalyst for social good.”
The mission of the Sports Equity™ Lab (SEL) is to promote social justice and decency in the realm of sports. Through science and research, community engagement and creative content, it aims to promote inclusion, equity and justice in all aspects of sport, eliminating discrimination and creating opportunities for all individuals, regardless of race, ability, gender, socioeconomic status or any other form of marginalization.
At the 2024 African Games, On’s social impact program Right To Run supports Sports Equity™ Lab’s Victory in Unity campaign, which showcases outstanding African athletes of all backgrounds. It includes the “African Giants” installation and a Game Changers Pan-African Networking Dinner to celebrate, enhance and establish a lasting, inclusive legacy of the 13th African Games. On’s Head of Africa, Navalayo Osembo, was a keynote speaker at this important event in the African sporting calendar.
“As one of the premier sporting events on the African continent with over 4000 athletes from 40+ African countries competing in 29 different sports, the reach and relevance of the African Games is unparalleled. Being present at this impressive event and helping to advance the Sports Equity™ Lab’s mission to increase inclusion and reduce inequities in sport was a vital project for us, especially as On’s commitment to Africa is still in its early stages,” says Osembo.
Since their initial partnership in 2023, Right To Run and the Sports Equity™ Lab have made significant strides in promoting awareness and inclusion in the sports community.
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