Nairobi Or Accra Milo Marathon?

The annual Accra Milo marathon came under way last week with its usual annual surprises. Kenyan Alex Kimeli won the men race with a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes to become the second expatriate to win the annual sports event sponsored by Nestle Ghana limited producers of Milo. Great!

Kimeli was presented with the coveted GH¢ 10,000 grand prize and assorted products from sponsors Nestle and Voltic at the detriment of the Ghanaian contingents something I don’t really know happens at Nairobi Milo marathon even if they have such event. I mean if Ghanaian athletes would be allowed to compete in Kenya events.

So did Kimeli paid tax on the huge sum of money he collected last Friday? Has the Accra Milo marathon now became an all Africa event? Is Milo promoting Ghanaian athletes or East Africa athletes? How many Ghanaian athletes have won such competitions outside Africa?

You see, that is Ghana for you. We always fail to invest in our own people. How can you allow someone from a region noted for long distance runners to participate in a marathon organized for our local people? Most at time I don’t blame the organizers but blame the greedy Ghanaians who brings in these people in the name of their greedy agencies.

Why this time? Especially when the prize money has been increased to GH¢ 10,000 only to taken away to Nairobi Kenya to develop his province. So if such a huge sum of money is retained in Ghana can’t a Ghanaian invest it to create employment opportunity to some Ghanaians at least to solve this unemployment menace?

I think it’s time we Ghanaians stop this type of greedy attitude and invest in our people. People must stop hiding behind these expatriates to cheat their own people. Kimeli should have been taxed by the Ghana Revenue Authority on the gains he made.

My only advice to the organizers of the Milo Marathon is that they must help to develop and promote young sports talents in Ghana. Like the Milo National Football Championship which has its Africa championship, I think the marathon event must also be organized in a way that it can also has its Inter – country Africa Milo marathon which can then bring together the respective champions from all the participating countries to compete on a fair platform.

With due respect to all Kenyans living in Ghana and elsewhere, if by next year more expatriates especially Kenya athletes will be allowed to participate in the event just because the prize money has been increased then the annual Accra Milo marathon must be changed to Nairobi Milo marathon, because for me it doesn’t make sense to use our local event to promote other people.

And to those who brought in those expatriates just to win prize monies for them in the name of their selfish and greedy agencies, they must bow their heads in shame and stop this greedy practice now. If they argue its open to all then why don’t we see expatriates competing in the female and juvenile categories? They have just robbed our Ghanaian athletes of what they deserve. But don’t be surprised too, because it’s only in Ghana that people are paid huge sums of money they’ve not worked for and never deserve. But this must stop now!

Madam Marilyn Agyeiwaa Ofori, Assistant Brand Manageress of Beverages in Nestle Ghana LTD and the organizers of the annual event must come out to explain to Ghanaians why an expatriate was allowed to participate in the event and if Ghanaian athletes would also be sent to participate in the Milo marathon competitions in other Africa countries.

Congratulations to all the Ghanaian athletes who participated in the last Friday event, Yandel Joseph of Ghana Police Service, Seth Nuamah Boadi of University of Education Winneba, Elizabeth Bortsor of Ghana Police Service, Gifty Abbey of Ghana Prisons Service, Josephine Kwakye of Ghana Police Service, Mustapha Alhassan from the Ashanti Region, Seyram Sebgefia from the Volta Region, Philip Apuri from the Upper East Region and all the other athletes as well as all the past winners – David Zigah, Alhaji Alhassan, Richard Nifa, Stephen Manu,Anthony Yin and co, I salute you.

Kudos! Yandel Joseph and Seth Nuamah Boadi, you only lose to someone who does not deserve the winning crown and prize money.