Athletics coach cries over poor tartan tracks

Albert Nukpeza, Ghana’s Head Athletic coach is crying over continuous lack of requisite training equipment and facilities as he prepares his team for upcoming championships notably qualifications to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Top on the list of his worries is the poor condition of the tartan tracks at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra where the athletes train and is praying for some repair works as the athletes get ready for camping beginning Monday.

Mr. Nukpeza told Joy FM: “We haven’t got the equipment for training. Luckily the GOC President is also our President and is working very hard to get us equipment before we go to camp on Monday. But the tartan tracks at El Wak are very bad and we hope something will be done about it because it’s too bad.”

Meanwhile, Fuseini Bawa, General Secretary of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), has lambasted the constructors of the tartan tracks at the El Wak stadium and is also questioning why it was removed from the Accra Sports Stadium in the first place.

“It’s not the making of the association. Why are the tartan tracks in this state after just 4 years? Why was it wiped out from Accra Stadium? That’s the question the media must ask,” Mr. Bawa told ALL SPORTS when we called him.

He is also worried that there is no alternative to the El Wak for the athletes to train. “Essipong is also not good, El Wak is far better. It’s risky, running on artificial turf is not the best, you can fall down and get injured. We just have to wait for El-Wak to be fixed,” said a very worried Fuseini Bawa who confirmed that the Ghana Athletics Grand prix will return again this year with plans also advanced for the athletics team to go on tour in America ahead of the Olympic Games qualifications.

*Credit: Prince Dornu-Leiku*