Why Ghana's Rose Yeboah competed at Olympic Games without her coach - Eric Nkansah explains

Eric Nkansah, a former Ghanaian athlete and now coach, has urged Ghanaians to be circumspect and measured in their criticism of the Ghana team at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Speaking in an interview with the YouTube platform' Global Sports Today,' the legendary sprinter explained that Ghanaians would be missing the point if they directed their anger and disappointment at the athletes instead of the government.

He stated that for a country to excel at the Olympic Games, there must be a deliberate policy from the government to invest in and nurture the athletes.

Eric Nkansah argued that Ghana has consistently performed poorly at the world's biggest sporting festival due to the government's lack of interest in the games.

He opined that the absence of Ghanaian high jumper Rose Yeboah's personal coach at the Olympic Games is another indication of the country's lack of seriousness about sporting disciplines other than the Black Stars.

He disclosed that Rose Yeboah competed without her coach because the Ghana Olympic Committee submitted a list of athletes and officials without considering the high jumper's coach.

Eric Nkansah said that efforts by some people, including himself, to get Rose Yeboah's coach to be present in Paris, France, proved futile because the GOC claimed that it had already submitted the list and that the coach would not be accredited should he travel with Team Ghana.

"Rose Yeboah is very young with huge potential, so if the government invests in and prepares her well, she will be fighting for medals in the next Olympic Games. The height she cleared at the NCA games was higher than the person who won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. It is her first Olympics, so we don't have to be worried, but the government must show interest and invest in her.

"We all tried to get her coach to be with her at the Olympic Games, but the Ghana Olympic Committee told us that at the time we sent her name, they had already filed the names of Ghanaian athletes, officials, and coaches for the Olympic Games, so even if they sent him there, he wouldn't be accredited to coach her," he said.

Rose Amoanemaah Yeboah failed to progress to the finals in the Women's High Jump at the 2024 Olympic Games after failing to clear the 1.92m height.

Eric Nkansah also noted with worry the declining number of Ghanaian athletes, particularly boxers, at the Olympic Games, recommending that if urgent steps are not taken to address the trend, there will be a time when the country will not be represented at the Olympic Games.

"Previously, we used to compete at the Olympic Games with a good number of athletes, but this year we had only eight athletes. We went to the Olympic Games without boxers, which is strange, but that shows how much we are regressing. If we don't wake up, it will get to a point where none of our athletes will qualify for the Games," he said.

Touching on the baton-change mishap that derailed Ghana's progress in the Men's 4x100m event, Eric Nkansah stated that the lack of practice among the teammates resulted in the mishap.

He noted that while countries like China continue to master the technique of the baton change, Ghana continues to struggle because the athletes are not afforded training and competition opportunities to fine-tune the processes.

"We are quick to blame the GOC and the athletes, but the main culprits are the government. The government is only interested in football. The boys did very well because the government doesn't take care of them. China came first in our heats, but when you match the Chinese athletes against ours, you will realize that our athletes are better.

"The Chinese realized that the relay events are based on techniques and not mere speed, so they prepare them for the race. Once the Olympic Games end and they go home, nothing will happen again, only lip service. It's easier to blame the athletes, but the main problem here is the lack of investment by the government," he said.



EK