WALK NEWS

MONTHLY NEWS LETTER FOR

VISCO WALKING CLUB IN GHANA FOR APRIL

BY: KOFI SAFO-ANTWI

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ALITALIA WALK ON SATURDAY

FUTURE OF RACE WALK IN GHANA

BIG BLOW TO VISCO WALKING CLUB

GHANAIAN WALKER FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES TRIALS

ALITALIA WALK ON SATURDAY

The management of Alitalia GSA have presented 200 tee shirts to the VISCO WALKING CLUB for Saturday's ALITALIA WALK which has attracted walkers from the Security services, Keep fit clubs and the general public.

Receiving the items Mr. Rushdy secretary of Visco Walking club thanked ALITALIA GSA for the sponsorship saying this will help the club prpare the walkers for other local and international competitions around this time that most of the walkers are preparing for the World Walking Cup in Italy on the 12th of October 2002.

Earlier Mrs. Sarah Baldi financial director of ALITALIA GSA said this is the beginning of better things to come and hoped that the walkers' performances should go to convince her institution to continue to dole its hands into its financial kitty to support the baby sport in the country.

Among those who partnered her too do the presentation were Messrs. Kpaanie Addy commercial manager and William De-Graft Coleman marketing officer.

FUTURE OF RACE WALK IN GHANA

World acclaimed race walk coach Dave McGovern has given his most wonderful compliment yet, as to the future of the sport in Ghana in a no-holes-barred interview conducted with the WALK NEWS from his base in Mobile Alabama in the USA.

He told of a great future for the sport if only its athletes could attract the support and attention of both state and philanthropic corporate institutions. Coach McGovern who is also the foreign coach of Visco Walking Club contended that, should all these stakeholders lend the race walker a helping hand in his training schedules, it should be possible for them to train at a special level required to achieve World standards in the sport.

According to him the future looks very bright for the Ghanaian race walker even though training in the scorching heat in Africa, adds up to the often difficult-to-get sponsorship support. Coach McGovern therefore called for support from stakeholders so they help provide the funds leading to the World Cup and other matches.

Dave further advised the race walkers to endeavor to excel in the sport, so as to pave the way for other up-and-coming potential walkers develop a special liking for the sport, which could then swell its interest among a large number of people right across the country.

On behalf of the US walker and on his own behalf, the coach pledged their unflinching support in the provision of the very inputs that go to help make the sport a most loving one.

He was full of praise for the Ghanaian ace walker Vincent Asumang and several of his colleagues, who passed through his hands by way of coaching the last time he visited Ghana in year 2000.

Coach McGovern then called on the Ghana Athletics Association to do well to set the qualifying times so that the Ghanaian walker could be clear in his mind as to what exactly the barriers are.

As a matter of interest, since last year Asumang has been in training where he has managed to chalk the Olympic Games qualifying time of 4hours 10minutes, a massive 5 seconds improvement on the last Commonwealth Games Gold medalist G. Savaranam who won the 50km race in 4hours 10minutes 5seconds.

It would be recalled that as a follow-up to the training he received down here in Accra, Asumang visited the United States where after a series of trials and tests, he underwent a lactate threshold test at the University of South Alabama, where his heart rate was recorded during an intense interval workout and blood tests conducted to determine proper training values.

BIG BLOW TO VISCO WALKING CLUB

As part of the final preparation for the Visco walking club towards the up coming ALITALIA Walk slated for April 13th2002 Accra. The club at their last training in Takoradi encountered a big setback.

In an interview with the secretary of the club, Mr. Rushdy said everything went on well as planned. And all the walkers were in good shape.

The major setback however is the fact that most of the members are employees of various institution such as the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, The Ghana police Service etc. And are all expected to compete for their various institutions. The club has therefore been incapacitated and cannot raise a team to represent it.

The coaches in persons of Mr Albert Nukpezah and Dave McGovern of Ghana and U.S. respectively have decided not to give technical assistance to anybody until the ALITALIA Walk is over next week, so that the walkers would be called back for intensive training for other competitions. In the meantime the various institutions have been advised to give the necessary assistance to their walkers to enable them give of their best in the upcoming competition.

As to who is tipped to win the race, coach Nukpezah said, Ghanaians should not look up to Vincent Asumang alone, for there are potentially good walkers in the club who can pull a surprise at any given time

He specifically made mention of Stanley Brimah, Ahmed Tijani, Yaw Fordjour,Anthony Adjei,J.N.Koufie Gerald Nii Armah and the rest who have been with the ace walker Vincent Asumang for a long time and have learnt a lot from him.

GHANAIAN WALKER FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES TRIALS

Just after last week?€™s training Mr. Abdel M. Rushdy secretary of the VISCO WALKING CLUB revealed to WALK NEWS that the club had received an invitation from the UK Athletics on behalf of the UK Race walking Association.

The invitation is to offer club members the chance to compete in Commonwealth Games trials in 20 and 50 kilometers walk scheduled for Salford Quays, Manchester on April 21.

The invitation will also take care of accommodation and feeding for the period.

The ace walker Vincent Asumang will lead the pack of walkers which will include Ahmed Tijani Sani of the Ghana Armed Forces and four others.

Due to the busy schedule of Visco Walking Club foreign coach Mr. Dave McGovern, coach Mr. Nukpezah will handle the walkers.

In an interview with coach McGovern, he indicated his belief in Asumang at least winning a medal at the Games in the 50 km division because in the last Commonwealth Games held in Malaysia the eventual winner G. Savaranam clocked 4: 10: 05 which Asumang has since bettered in training.

If Visco Walking Club honors this invitation, this will be the fifth time of honoring such assignment. Other invitations from Dublin Ireland on June 15 are the 12th Dublin International Grand Prix and other international competitions.

Visco Walking Club. P.O. BOX 416, CAPE COAST, GHANA, WEST- AFRICA. TEL:00233-20-8167623 FAX: 00233-21-226553