GAA national circuit opens at Tamale stadium

Following the christening of the domestic track and field season by the athletics segment of the Mini-GUSA Games, the Ghana Athletics Association will officially open its season, with the first leg of the National Circuit Championship at the Tamale Sports stadium on Saturday, 18th February, 2017.

Three other legs of the Circuit Championship will be hosted in Accra on 18th March, Kumasi on 15th April, with the final in Cape Coast on 13th May.

The GAA’s Circuit will feature hundreds of male and female athletes who will be battling for glory in their respective events.

The athletes will be fighting for point rankings in the 15 events below:

Men - 200m/400mH/800m/5000m/Triple Jump/High Jump/Javelin/Discus

Women - 100m/100mH/400m/1500m/10000m/Long Jump/Shot put

Athletes drawn from the ten regions, Security Services, Ghana Education Service, and some tertiary institutions have registered to compete in the event.

The Circuit will also serve to provide opportunities for Ghana-based athletes to qualify for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London as the athletes will seek to meet the IAAFs entry requirements for London 2017.

Opening

Athletics fans were given a taste of what is to come on the domestic calendar at the 7th Mini-GUSA Games held at the University of Cape Coast from 3rd to 13th January.

University of Cape Coast (UCC) sprinter Emmanuel Yeboah clocked an impressive 10.36s to win the men’s 100m final while another UCC athlete Hajuaha Braimah broke the GUSA 400m record with 54.81s.

The Circuit opener is expected to witness fierce competition among the best home-based athletes including 2016 Olympians, Beatrice Gyaman and Dorcas Gyimah, 2015 All African Games javelin silver medalist Mary Zuta Nartey, and long distance runners such as reigning Circuit 5000m champion Sakat Lariba, Malik Yakubu, among others.

Background to Circuit

At the inaugural event in 2014, which was sponsored by Sea & Shore Services (Gh) Company Ltd and Interplast, athletes amassed points over the earlier competitions in Wa, Koforidua, Sekondi-Takoradi, with the final event at the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi crowning the top athletes in each event for the season.

In 2015, the pre-final Circuit competitions were held in Sunyani,

Akatsi, Accra and the grand finale organised in Tamale.

In 2016, the pre-final Circuit competitions were held in Bolgatanga, Koforidua, Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi, with the final event in Cape Coast, meaning that in its three-year existence the Circuit Championship has visited all regions in the country.

BELOW IS THE GAA’s PROGRAME OF COMPETITIONS FOR 2017:

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCUIT 1 TAMALE

18 FEBRUARY 2017

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

CIRCUIT II

ACCRA

18 MARCH 2017

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCUIT III

KUMASI

15 APRIL 2017

WORLD RELAYS NASSAU, BAHAMAS 22-23 APRIL 2017

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

CIRCUIT IV (FINAL)

CAPE COAST

13 MAY 2017

NATIONAL SENIORS/JUNIORS CHAMPIONSHIP (TENTATIVE)

CAPE COAST

30 JUNE-1 JULY 2017

WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

NAIROBI, KENYA

12 -16 JULY 2017

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

LONDON

4-13 AUGUST 2017