Featured image by Ebony Morrison (Liberia at 13th African Games, men’s 4×100 bronze medalists.)

The 13th African Games has ended. After being postponed for a year, the event, which was hosted in Accra, Ghana, took place from 3 March to 23 March. Liberia sent 21 athletes who competed in four sports.

Here’s a complete recap of Liberia’s biggest highlights at Accra2023.

Liberia boxing makes its debut on the medal podium

Liberia Boxing takes bronze at African Games.
Photo Credit: Accra2023 (l-r: Zainab Adeshina, Roumaysa Boualam, Yasmine Mouttaki, Grace Fahnbulleh.)

As GTL previously reported, Liberia sent four boxers to the African Games. The men competed in three different weight categories and the lone female athlete, Grace Fahnbulleh, competed in the women’s 50kg.

During the event, Fahnbulleh made history becoming the first boxer, male or female, to win a boxing medal for Liberia at the African Games. She took the bronze after defeating Egypt’s Aly Habiba (4-3).

Before this victory, Liberia had only ever won track and field medals at the African Games.

Liberia track and field collected three medals at African Games

Liberia 4x100 men's and women's team
Photo credit: Ebony Morrison (The Liberia men’s and women’s 4×100 relay teams)

Ten track and field athletes represented Liberia at the African Games. Two athletes participated in the women’s 100m race, Liberia sent a men’s and women’s 4×100 relay team, and one runner raced in the men’s 200m.

As expected, the women’s and men’s relay teams medaled, taking silver and bronze respectively. Maia McCoy, who ran on the women’s relay team, also ran the open 100m and won a silver for Liberia.

These are not the first medals Liberia has won in athletics at the African Games but these are the first 4×100 relay and women’s 100m medals for the team — adding to the Liberia track and field program’s growing success.

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The teams were mixed with local and international athletes

Taekwondo team in Ghana
Photo credit: Sylvester Tamba (Taekwondo team in Ghana.)

Out of the 21 athletes that represented Liberia in Accra, 10 are locally-based and 11 are internationally-based.

Liberia sent three locally-based table tennis players: Loretta Davis, Arma Kamara, and Bogton Junior Pyee.

Liberian boxers came from Liberia, Europe, and the US. They were Timothy Williams, who’s based in Liberia; Grace Fahnbulleh, who moved from Canada to Ireland, to train; Freddy Kiwitt, who lives in Germany; and Jeroson Barkin Garduward, who’s based in the US.

Local sprinters Nancy Tokpah and Arthur Quaqua along with the US-based relay teams represented Liberia in athletics. On the men’s 4×100 team: Emmanuel Matadi, Joseph Fahnbulleh, Jabez Reeves, and John Sherman ran together. The women’s team included: Ebony Morrison, Destiny Smith-Barnett, Shania Collins, and Maia McCoy.

Lastly, the national taekwondo team brought four local athletes. Stana Ramirez, Janga Kamara, Moustapha Kromah, and Enoch Gardea. Ramirez was unable to compete due to unclear issues at the weigh-in. All other athletes did not advance past their first fights.

Overall, this was the most successful African Games for Liberia

This year’s Games was a historic comeback for Liberia on the medal podium. Liberia received its first African Games medals in 2011 when decathlete Jangy Addy and 400 meters hurdler Kou Lougon won gold and bronze respectively.

Since those 2011 wins, Liberia had not received another medal at the African Games until now. The team’s performance at Accra2023, is surely something to celebrate.