RLG Ghana Athletics Grand Prix ready for Kumasi this Saturday

The maiden international Athletics grand prix billed for the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi comes alive next weekend, precisely Saturday August 6.

Long jumper Ignatius Gaisah, sprint king Aziz Zakari, sprint queen Vida Anim and heptathlete Margaret Simpson head the list of top Ghanaian athletes arriving in the country beginning Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s maiden Ghana Athletics Grand Prix.

History will be made as the one-day professionally organised competition brings together over hundred local and international track and field champions from Jamaica, Kenya, USA, Canada, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Germany and of course Ghana to compete for honours in the event sponsored by local telecommunications manufacturers rLG Communications with support from Tullow Oil and UniBank.

According to Prof. Francis Dodoo, President of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), the Ghana Grand Prix will among many objectives, provide the nation’s athletes the opportunity to compete against international and experienced athletes, boost their morale, invoke nationalism on a global platform as well as compete in a prestigious competition and rekindle the passion for the sport in local athletics fans.

“The spectators will have a lot of fun but for the athletes, its business. We believe it offers especially the locally based athletes the opportunity to shine against proven and experienced athletes.

“It’s a very unique opportunity and we are glad the National Unity Games have unearthed some talents already who will all come to Kumasi with a mission to win. We can’t wait,” Prof. Dodoo told last Monday’s press conference to formally launch the 2011 Ghana Grand Prix.

Envisaging the dawn of a revival of athletes in Ghana, the experienced Prof. Dodoo has also tipped National Unity Games star Shepherd Agbeko of the Ghana Armed Forces to take the place of one of the nation’s foreign based athletes for September’s All Africa Games.

Source: Prince Dornu-Leiku /