Olympic Medal Bonus promise an insult - Kwabena Yeboah

Ace sports writer and broadcaster, Kwabena Yeboah has blamed Ghana’s poor showing at the Olympics so far on the National Sports Authority while describing the $ 20,000 promised by the sporting body for winners of gold as “an insult”.

“How can they be promising such an amount when they know very well that it is impossibility for most of these sportsmen to win gold judging from the qualification they took to the games,” he asked.


He said if the NSA had such money as bonuses, they should have channelled them into the preparations of the athletes. “Vida Anim for instance at a point needed only 10,000 dollars for her preparation and she had to engage in eventual battle with the Sports Authority,” he noted.


He said it would be better that Ghana took consolation from the Olympic spirit that puts emphasis on participation and not the winning of medals.


“If we want to win medals, our time for preparation must start now for the next Olympics and not to wait only to start two weeks to the event,” he added.

Officials with Ghana’s contingent at the London Olympics announced last week that they were going to monetary rewards to winners of medals at the event.


This year’s event which started last Friday has since seen one of Ghana’s four boxers, Isaac Dogbe eliminated already.


He lost to his Japanese opponent Shimizu Satoshi by 10 -9 on points in the round of 32 in the bantamweight division.


Another boxer, Maxwell Amponsah has also been disqualified from the Games on medical grounds.