GOC funds residential camping of "Team Ghana"

Accra, June 6, GNA - The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has secured funds towards the organization of intensive training programmes for Ghana's team at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Mr Benson Tongo Baba, President of the GOC told the GNA Sports in an interview in Accra that the sponsorship will cater for residential camping for the national amateur boxing team and the athletic squad. He said the amateur boxing team, "the Black Bombers" are already in camp at the Winneba Sports College whilst the athletics team is also based at Takoradi.

The GOC President said the move is to ensure that Ghana's representatives at the Olympic Games put up the best of performance with the ultimate goal of winning medals for the country. Mr Baba said the residential camping will enable the athletes have adequate concentration for their respective training regimen, which he said will put them in the best of conditions to deliver. The GOC President said that his outfit will also facilitate another residential training programme for the two teams in Shanghai China, in July to round off their preparations for the Games. He said the cost of the training programme which includes boarding and lodging and other packages will be catered for by the GOC and its corporate partners.

Mr Baba said the two training programmes are under the sponsorship of a Chinese company, whose identity he said will be disclosed in due course.

He revealed that the two teams have a similar training programme before they embark on the Shanghai camping but added that the cost of those trips will be handled by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS).

Mr Baba indicated that the athletic team, will be based in Germany, whilst the boxers are scheduled to camp in Cuba. He expressed the hope that the two teams will make the nation proud at the Olympics by bringing home a number of medals and urged other corporate bodies to join to make the event successful for Ghana. Mr Baba said similar arrangements will be made for the national paralympic team, which is scheduled to participate in the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China in September.