GAA and Just Because Fitness sign partnership agreement

The Ghana Athletics Association and Just Because Fitness (JBF), a Ghanaian sports promotion group, have signed an agreement for JBF to partner the GAA to stage a number of domestic athletic competitions in 2018, and to support four promising national athletes through a program dubbed “Sporting Chance.”

The partnership brings together one of the biggest sports brands in Ghana and JBF, who have established a reputation for providing key interventions that bring about a positive change to the lives of sports teams and individuals.

Through the partnership, JBF is supporting four (4) locally-based Ghanaian track and field athletes namely sprinter Hor Halutie, 400m runner Rafiatu Nuhu, marathoner Kassim Mohammed, and 800m runner Saraphina Adumbila through their Sporting Chance program.

Sporting Chance provides the athletes with non-technical support such as quality medical care, services of a nutritionist and sports psychologist, a feeding and transport allowance, and necessary training kit and related equipment. After a series of meetings with the GAA Secretary-General and President, Sporting Chance confirmed their commitment to supporting GAA.

The Secretary General of the Ghana Athletics Association, Mr. Bawah Fuseini said the partnership could not have come at a better time.

“On behalf of the GAA Executive Board led by Prof. Francis Dodoo, I would like to say that we are delighted to have signed this partnership with Just Because Fitness, which will not only partner with us in providing needed funding for our activities this year, but also go a long way in supporting some of our most talented young, home-based athletes.

“The Board has been working on this deal with JBF for about 4 months now and we want to thank Madam Sara Asafu-Adjaye, Madam Afia Appiah and Mr. Korbla Dzotsi for working very hard behind the scenes to make this happen.

“This collaboration speaks volumes about JBF’s understanding of the significance of sport, and athletics in particular, as well as about the stature of athletics in Ghana. We are grateful to JBF for this collaboration.”

The Program Director of Just Because Fitness, Madam Sara Asafu-Adjaye commented: “We’re happy to have entered into this partnership with the Ghana Athletics Association, and to provide our full backing to assist them in establishing the key linkages (sponsors, donors) required to make things happen.

“Sporting Chance” is a new and exciting private sector campaign in the arena of Ghanaian athletics, born out of the need to see our most talented up and coming home-based track and field athletes reach their full potential on the world stage, by providing much needed support.

“We are also assisting the GAA to stage a number of domestic athletic championships this year. These local competitions provide the perfect opportunity for top Ghanaian athletes to compete in a bid to qualify for selection at a number of international competitions, including the 2018 Commonwealth Games; IAAF U-20 Championship; CAA Africa Senior Championship and the 2018 Youth Olympics.

This is another important milestone for the Prof. Francis Dodoo-led GAA which has been running the domestic athletics calendar with corporate and private funding since 2012. The GAA has organised about 30 national and international-level competitions in the country since being elected into office in 2010.

Meanwhile, with less than three months to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia, Ghana-based athletes are set to continue their quest to qualify for the Games when the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) opens its 5th National Circuit Championships at the Sekondi Sports stadium on Saturday, 27th January, 2018.

The Circuit, which is the biggest athletics meet on the domestic calendar, will serve to provide opportunities for Ghana-based athletes to qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April, and the 2018 CAA Africa Senior Championships in Nigeria in August. In a related development, the GAA’s Sekondi Circuit 2018 is being sponsored by Bond Savings & Loans and Just Because Fitness.