Sporting events held to boost China-Ghana ties

The Ghana-China Friendship Association has organized sporting event to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Citizens of both nations competed in basketball and table tennis at the well-attended games in Accra.

Ghana is one of the first sub-Saharan countries to establish diplomatic relations with China.

The traditional friendship between the two countries, forged and nurtured by their forefathers and peoples in the noble cause of striving for national independence and liberation, has laid a solid foundation for all-round cooperation.

Dignitaries who graced the games included the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong, Ghana's Sports Minister Mustapha Ahmed and Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health.

Sun said China-Ghana relations were at an important stage of carrying on the past and ushering in the future.

She urged both sides to keep up with the current situation, make effort to expand cultural exchanges, plough deep and cultivate meticulously people-to-people friendship.

"In the future, we will encourage more and more people to devote themselves to the grand cause of China-Ghana friendship relations, become the builders and facilitators of the China-Ghana friendship, and carry on our friendship from generation to generation," she said.

Ahmed said the games would contribute to deepening the China-Ghana friendship.

"These games, which will be opened momentarily, will in its own small way contribute towards further enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the peoples of our two countries," he said.

Ghana defeated China 105 to 64 to win the basketball event while the two sides shared the spoils in the table tennis discipline.

Trophies and medals were presented to the winners.

Sun and Ahmed displayed their table tennis prowess during an exhibition contest much to the applause of the teeming audience. Endit