Accra, Oct 10, GNA - Ghana's overseas-based athletes who took part in the World Athletics Championships in Paris are threatening to boycott the Eighth All Africa Games in Abuja if the monies they expended to facilitate their participation are not refunded to them.
Consequently, there is great panic among officials at the Games Village camp of the Ghanaian, as the Chef de Mission, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah was making frantic efforts to contact Accra.
The athletes said they used their own money to buy air tickets to Paris after they were persuaded to do so with a firm promise of a refund, as soon as they arrived in Abuja.
They said, they were not paid bonuses for their efforts at the World Championship and it would be unfair on their part to participate in the Africa Games when their contribution to national development is not recognised.
Commenting on the threat of the athletes, Dr Owusu-Ansah said arrangements had been concluded with the ministry of Finance to release the money totalling about 35,000 dollars before he departed to Abuja.
He said the amount represented the airfares, per diem and bonuses of the nine athletes who took part in the Paris Championship.
The Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council expressed the hope that the matter would be resolved soon enough to enable the athletes to participate in the athletics category which kick starts on Saturday.
While Leonard Myles Mills is being expected from his American base ahead of the event, eight of the athletes who took part in the World Championship are already in Abuja.
They are SWAG sports personality of the year, Margaret Simpson, Vida Anim, Akosua Serwah, Andrew Owusu, Ignatius Gaiser, Christian Nsiah and Eric Nkansah.
