How Ghana’s Women Beach Volleyball Team Qualified For Commonwealth Games For The First Time

Ghana’s women’s beach volleyball team will make a debut at the Commonwealth Games against Canada on Saturday, but its journey to the event has been far from easy.

Just a few weeks before the team left for Birmingham, the aura at the training centre at the Laboma Beach Resort in Accra was devoid of enthusiasm, coupled with the uncertainty of what might ensue at the games and sparse support from the government.

For a team preparing for its first major event, the mood was one of despondency, mainly because its stipend by the government for the camp had yet to arrive.

This was not the first time the team had received a financial blow. As a result, motivation was low, with the scorching summer sun adding to the woes.

The “genuine love for the game” and determination to make it against all odds were the reasons behind their perseverance for three months without funds from the government, the team members told Al Jazeera.

Ranked 104th in the world, Ghana have been drawn in Pool A alongside Canada, gold medallists at the inaugural beach volleyball event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Kenya and New Zealand.