Athletes React to “Lies” and “Half-Truths” About Sport

Ghana Athletics: Athletes React to “Lies” and “Half-Truths” About Sport

We have sat and watched in utter surprise...first we thought it would stop after the Commonwealth Games...then we thought it would end after we won the 2nd most medals in Ghana’s African Championships history in Morocco...and then we realized that even after our teammate Martha Bissah won Ghana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal at any level, the attacks kept coming.

For those who may not know, a longtime motto adopted by the athletes (track and field) from Ghana says “Our Sport, Our Passion”. As athletes who currently compete at the highest levels for Ghana, we are passionate about our sport and pour into it our hearts, resources, time and, in some cases health, as sacrifice in our quest to lift higher the flag of Ghana.

We don’t always succeed, but most of us are performing as well, if not better in some events, than our predecessors did when they were at the same age. In other areas, we are underperforming but that does not mean we are not trying our best to be successful.

It is very heartbreaking demoralizing, and distracting to see some media sources speak so negatively about our performances. They often speak about us athletes being failures and Ghanaian athletics being a doomed sport for the country. It is so difficult to focus on performing well when others purposefully put you through a psychological grinder knowing full well the stories they write are false. How are we supposed to feel when the same year we set 5 new national records, our cohort is described as failing?

Why are we held up to extraordinary, and in some cases, unrealistic expectations when our accusers who often publish on obscure media outlets can’t abide by basic ethics of journalism? Shouldn’t people like Mr. Daniel Dodoo and Mr. Akpavi Jnr make adequate enquiries and cross-check their facts before publishing false stories about us and half-truths about our sport?

A recent article titled “Emmanuel Nartey: The Earlier Prof Dodoo Leaves The Better For Ghana” was published on www.sportscrusader.com by Mr. Akpavi Jnr. In it, a Judoka by name Emmanuel Nartey states that “Prof Dodoo is not competent enough to lead the GOC. With him I don’t think Ghana has any future in track and field events”. It is interesting to see someone who was not part of athletics and never even bothered to watch any of us compete have such a strong opinion on the success of our sport as a whole.

Nartey, someone we all saw in Glasgow and think very little off, is entitled to his opinion. Ok ….. we don’t really believe the next sentence but a better headline would have been, “With Judokas like Nartey, Ghana Judo is Doomed to Failure”; really, that is a joke because we think the other Judokas are cool people.

Furthermore, how can someone publish such a story without talking to some of us athletes on the track and field team? How can Nartey, a judoka who has nothing to do with us (athletes), know anything worth reporting concerning the state of track and field in Ghana?”

This year alone, 8 competitions were held in Ghana giving local athletes opportunities to qualify for Commonwealth Games and African Championships. The fact that at least 75% of the athletes on the 2014 Commonwealth Games and African Championships teams were local athletes or were local athletes just 7 months ago is never mentioned in any of the reports.

We are grateful to our respective coaches for their dedication to our development. But, what we have come to appreciate is how an effective national association can help provide us with the opportunities and platform for us to blossom. To that end, we stand by Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) and our President, Professor Francis Dodoo.

Most Ghanaians only get to witness the end product; our performance or lack thereof at competitions. What many Ghanaians don’t have the privilege of seeing is what goes on in the background leading up to actual competition. Therefore we would like to share with Ghanaians how we see it from our side.

First, our president, Prof. Dodoo (not Duodo) treats us like his own children. Second, our coaches work hard even when there is little or no reward. Third, our administrators are great at what they do for the little they have at their disposal. But, we want to talk a bit more about our President.

He is there for us when we most need him. When we are wrong, he does not hesitate to let us know loud and clear, but at least he cares enough about us beyond what medals we can get on the track; the evidence is there for all to see.

How many sports men and women can say that their association president, within the last 2 years, has found scholarships for 15 of his or her junior (secondary school) athletes to attend university overseas so they can further their education while further developing their physical talent? That is the man we call Prof.

Professor Dodoo has many years of experience competing at the international level. He often shares these experiences with us and talks about staying driven and focused on competing well both physically and mentally. This is how we survived the psychological beating we took during the Commonwealth Games. Very few association presidents in the world can say they competed at the highest level possible, have coached other athletes to the highest level possible and are successfully managing a national association.

He makes athlete well-being a top priority of his--everything from how we eat and sleep to how training is going is important. He understands that even the smallest aspects of everyday life can make a huge difference in athlete performance. Let Martha Bissah tell you what Prof said to her after she was last in her heat at the Commonwealth Games and ask her what he said 2 days before she ran a personal best at the 2014 African Championships. Let Martha tell you about the message from Prof to her before her gold medal race in China.

Professor Dodoo made it a point to make sure he watched each and every athlete compete during the competition at the African Championships. No, he was not in the VIP seats. He was in the stands with us cheering, coaching as needed and, urging us on till his voice was hoarse. At the Commonwealth Games, if he was unable to physically make it to the track because of his duties as GOC President, he watched on television or online. Afterward he spoke to each of us regardless of how the performance went. If we did well, he offered words of congratulations, if not, he asked what went wrong, how we felt, and what could be done to better prepare for the next competition.

As athletes, these are the things we look for in our coaches and leaders. Not someone who does things to help his position when convenient. We prefer someone who has a genuine interest in our development and the development of our sport in Ghana. The fact that the least, literally in age and size, among us was the first person at any level to win an Olympic medal for Ghana is telling of how the development program is going.

Many people such as Martha’s coach (es) significantly contributed to her success. However, without the right leadership Martha would not have had the opportunities she got to prepare for her big day. After all, GAA knew she would have a tough time at the Commonwealth Games and African Championships but, GAA had a game plan and stuck with it even though critics, publicly questioned her selection onto the senior team.

For someone like Emmanuel Nartey to try to discredit our president using a sport (athletics) he knows nothing about and is not involved in, is just an attempt to discredit us all by manipulating the public into believing unfounded accusations.

We the athletes, fully endorse Prof Dodoo as president of the GAA.

• Flings Owusu-Agyapong (2014 African Championships Bronze Medalist, 4X100m) • John Ampomah (2014 African Championships 5th, Javelin; 2014 National Record) • Janet Amponsah (2014 African Championships Bronze Medalist, 4X100m) • Robert Martey (2014 African Championships 4th place; 2014 IAAF Continental Cup Selection) • Emmanuel Dasor (2014 African Championships Silver Medalist, 4X100m) • Naya Owusu (2014 African Championships 4th place, High Jump) • Nadia Eke (2014 African Championships Silver Medalist, Triple Jump; 2014 National Record; 2014 IAAF Continental Cup Selection) • Atsu Nyamadi (2014 African Championships Bronze Medalist, Decathlon; 2014 National Record) • Solomon Afful (2014 African Championships Silver Medalist, 4X100m) • Elizabeth Dadzie (2014 African Championships Silver Medalist, Heptathlon) • Gemma Acheampong (2014 African Championships Bronze Medalist, 4X100m) • Daniel Gyasi (2014 African Championships Silver Medalist, 4X100m) • Doreen Agyei (2014 African Championships, 200m Semi Finalist) • Julia Agawu (2014 African Championships 4th place, Discus) • Sampson Laari • Lydia Mato (4-Time [Indoor/Outdoor] US National Junior College Champion; 800m, 1500m) • Agnes Abu (4-Time [Indoor/Outdoor] US National Junior College Champion; Mile, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m) •Mary Zuta (2014 African Championships Javelin Silver Medalist) • Kwadwo Acheampong (2014 African Championships-400m Semi Finalist) •Shawkia Idrissu ((2014 African Championships- 400m Semi Finalist)