Ghana's preparation towards London 2012 in crisis!!!

Ghana’s preparation towards the London 2012 Olympics has been thrown into disarray due to the lukewarm attitude of the Nation Sports Authority with regards to release of funds to the Ghana Athletics Association and the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation.

The National Sports Authority (NSA) is holding onto monies meant for the preparation of national athletes and boxers for upcoming national and international competitions.


The NSA is refusing to refund expenses incurred by the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation and the Ghana Athletics Association thereby putting their plans out of gear.


The budgets for the two Associations were submitted to the NSA on 27th January as part of the broad expenditure for the nation’s participation in the Olympic Games. The projected expenditures have been duly approved and sanctioned by the relevant authorities and funds have been released by government to the NSA.


Suffice it to say that the untimely decision by the Ghana Athletics Association to break camp with just three weeks to the crucial national athletics championship came as a big shock to the sports community.


But this was because the Association had completely run out of money after delving into the private market to borrow money for the national assignment after the NSA had failed on its promise to provide the needed funds.


The latest development could have more repercussions on local athletes whose performances over the period of the camp have increased tremendously.


Mention can particularly be made of sprinter Janet Amponsah who is close to reaching the B standard for the women’s 200m event following her performances in Abidjan and Ouagadougou in the last two months.

It is also to be noted that there are other local athletes whose performances would be negatively affected during the upcoming ECOWAS Games, National Athletics Championship, African Athletics Championship and the rLG Ghana Grand Prix 2012.


The three senior athletics events will present a great opportunity for both foreign and local athletes to team up for the relay events for the first time this year, in what is expected to be a hectic four week period to qualify for the Olympics.


Are we going to allow this great opportunity to go to waste?


In the case of athletics, only ¢34,000.00 has been released out of the ¢77,000.00 that the Association requested before the team went to camp in January.


The President of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation Ray Quarcoo has also complained about the non release of funds from the NSA in a letter to Worlanyo Agra, Director General of the NSA and copied to the Chief of Staff and the Sports Ministry cited by the GNA Sports.


In the letter, the GABF boss gave a detailed breakdown of monies he has spent on preparing Ghana’s boxers for the Olympics. The expenses range from $17,600 to ¢41,791.00 plus £300, and $5,000.00


The bigger issue though, has to do with the fact that the lukewarm attitude of the NSA with regards to the release of funds can disrupt plans by the Athletics governing body to get more athletes qualify for the Olympics coupled with preparations for the four boxers who have already qualified.

It is a matter of great concern that the GABF President wrote in his letter that "even though some of the monies have been released by government, I am yet to be reimbursed and I am now burdened with payment of these loans with interest."


In the face of the horrible conditions our athletes endured at the 2011 All Africa Games, you will only expect that our sports authorities would do everything possible to sort out issues regarding travel plans, accommodation, kitting, allowances and per diem before the Games in London.


Sadly, the opposite is what is happening now. It seems the NSA, and in the broader view the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is waiting for another calamity to befall us again.


Come to think of it, who in his senses will deliberately set out to frustrate the efforts of a sports association whose major aim is to help qualify our athletes to a prestigious event such as the Olympic Games?


Well, it’s a fact that workings of the NSA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports has come under much scrutiny following the official handing of the Maputo Probe Report to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.


But one wonders why the Director-General of the NSA, Worlanyor Agra and the rest of the people, who were accused of being the cause of the misery of our national sportsmen/women went through at the 2011 All Africa Games, are still at post. Surely it’s the eighth wonder of the world!!


In an ideal situation, you would have expected the Minister of Youth and Sports Mr. Kofi Humador, to have acted based on the Maputo Probe Committee Report to weed out those who botched up the travel plans, accommodation and accreditation due to various acts of alleged corruption and sheer irresponsibility.

However, the Minister sent the wrong signals to the public when he appointed Worlanyor Agra as a member of the Local Orangising Committee of the ECOWAS Sports Festival which is due to be staged in the country this month.


Now that singular act and his subsequent refusal to take appropriate action or make a recommendation to the President has given Agra and co, the power to harass perceived opponents of the NSA and some members of the Maputo Probe Committee who double as executives of some sports disciplines.


To add insult to injury, Mr. Agra has now asked to be made the “chef de mission,” that is the leader of Ghana’s delegation, at the London 2012 Olympics. Mr. Agra contends he is the rightful person to lead Ghana’s delegation by international convention.


Well, if that is the case, then it was hypocritical for the NSA boss to blame the lack of a functional Ghana Olympic Committee for the troubles Team Ghana went through at the 2011 All Africa Games.


And again why was Mr. Agra not made the “chef de mission” of Ghana’s contingent at the All Africa Games?


Mr. Agra was not the “chef de mission” in Singapore for the 2010 Youth Olympics nor in the 2012 Delhi Commonwealth Games. So it is not clear why he suggests that a person in his post should always be the chef.


Given what has happened so far, it’s difficult to eliminate the theory that the NSA boss is black mailing the Ghana Olympic Committee into making him a member of their delegation before releasing funds for their preparations.

It should be noted though that Mr. Agra is the official “chef de mission” for the Ghana Paralympic team.


Perhaps we are waiting for Maputo Disaster-Part Two.


It’s crisis time!!!