Rio Games: Ghana’s participation in limbo

With few weeks to go for Ghana to participate in the summer Olympic Games, the country is facing financial challenges to enable the country to participate in the Games.

The world sporting bodies will be converging at Rio from August 5, 2016, to August 21, 2016, for the biggest sporting event in the world, and Ghana will be represented in athletics, swimming, boxing, judo and weightlifting.

However, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says he is having a hard time over how to raise funds for Ghana’s participation in the Games.

Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues, the Minister said the situation is becoming challenging for him since they have to raise over GH?900,000 for the country to participate in the Games.

He said, “I am having nightmares as to how to raise the money for the Olympic Games.”

Though Ghana failed to qualify for football, both men and women, the country is expected to be represented in notable disciplines such as boxing, athletics, swimming, judo and weightlifting, which was the first discipline to get Ghana qualifiers.

So far, a number of athletes, including sprinters Janet Amponsah, Flings Owusu Agyapong and Sean Safo-Antwi, have qualified for the Rio Games.

Swimmers Abeiku Jackson and Kaya Forson, alongside weightlifter Christian Amoah, will all be in Rio for the Games.

The nation’s 4X100m team is yet to confirm their qualification after beating Cote d’Ivoire in the Ghana Championship held in Cape Coast last Friday. Also, multiple national javelin record-breaker John Ampomah has also qualified for the Games.