Ghana Athletics Association to get tough on age cheats

Accra, Dec. 11, GNA - The Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) has adopted stringent measures to curb the disturbing rate of age cheating in the sport. Effective next year, athletes caught in age cheating acts will be handed a two-year ban whilst their coaches get a three-year ban from all events related to athletics.

Professor Francis Dodoo, President of the GAA who announced this at an Executives meeting on Saturday, observed that the falsification of ages of athletes was disturbing since the act makes worthy champions not to be produced to the detriment of budding talents.


He said that effective next year all athletes will be requested to produce their Junior High School (JHS) Certificates as a proof of their ages before participating in local championships. "We will not accept passports and birth certificates alone for all youth athletics competitions. "All athletes must present their JHS certificates; presumably it is not easy to falsify that document compared to the passports and birth certificates." Professor Dodoo said the implication of the menace was embarrassing, adding that "we potentially under-cultivate our athletes by slashing their ages." The GAA President also warned coaches and administrators to


desist from such acts and assured that the disciplinary rod will be applied on any culprit if caught. The meeting, comparably to a mini-congress, was attended by Executives of the Regional Associations, Representatives of the Security Services Sports Association (SESSA) and Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) amongst others. It served as a platform for the Executive Committee to brief the stakeholders on their programmes for the year as well as plan for the season ahead as well as exchange ideas aimed at improving the

standard of the sport in the country. The calendar for the 2011 season were also discussed inclusive the


budget for the sport.