Gaisah in Manhyia

The Asantehene, Otumfour Osei Tutu Ababio, yesterday granted audience to Ghana's first World Athletics Silver Medalist Ignatius Gaisah at the Manhyia Palce. Gaisah paid the visit to show his Medal to the King and also to say thank you to him for his prayer and guidance in his career.

Gaisah revealed to AUTHENTIC KAPITAL SPORTS, on KAPITAL RADIO in Kumasi today that his greatest source of inspiration for winning the silver Medal at the World Athletics Championship in Helsinki, Finland was Otumfour's advice and encouragements.

"I remember when the King presented the Sports Writters' Association of Ghana, SWAG, Sports personality Award to me at the Prempeh Assembly Hall, he told me to endeavour to achieve more lures for the nation inspite of the problems that will come up in my bid to achieving those feats", he recounted.

"Otumfour also asked me to visit him at the Manhyia Palace anytime i came to Ghana from my base in Holland and it was very incumbent upon me to "report' myself to him once i was in town", he added.

Gaisah said Otumfour personaly gave him two thousand euros for winning the SWAG Personality of the year Award for which he was extremely greatful for and therefore it was prudent for him to go the King to say thank you to him.

" My greatest motivation for winning the Medal was the inspirational words of Otumfour to me when i visited him before i went to Holland" he sounded.

He said he is highly previlaged to have had the opportunity to visit the King. He promised to achieve more medals to justify the confidence reposed in him by the Asantehene.

Gaisah denied reports by the Technical Director of the Ministry of Education and Sports claim that he received $8,500 at the World Championships, rather he received $1,500 in Helsinki and a further $2,000 on his return to Ghana, adding that the Ministry owes him about $8,000 being costs involved in the training schedule he had in Portugal with his Coach.

"I do not want to look ungrateful in the eyes of the public with the wrong information attributed to Dr.Owusu Ansah by yesterday's DAILY GRAPHIC." Gaisah said.

According to him he is waiting patiently for the Ministry to pay back to him the said amount but if they fail to pay him he has nothing to do or say but consider it as an investment in Ghana.