So, we can’t run, jump or throw, Simple?

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KAPITO 12 years ago

kwasi apenteng gyan...can you?

kwasi apenteng gyan...can you?
KOO 12 years ago

Corruption and corrupt ideas have left us with nothing.There is absolutely no direction towards athletics.Even if they intend,where will the money come from?.

Corruption and corrupt ideas have left us with nothing.There is absolutely no direction towards athletics.Even if they intend,where will the money come from?.
Ofori Quaah 12 years ago

Kwasi,

The death of athletics in Ghana is directly related to our faltering education system. The field and track stars of old were unearthed from the inter-schools and inter-regional athletic competitions. They came fro ...
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Kwasi,

The death of athletics in Ghana is directly related to our faltering education system. The field and track stars of old were unearthed from the inter-schools and inter-regional athletic competitions. They came from Presec (back in their Krobo Odumasi days), Prempeh College, Wesley College, PTC, Akropong, Adisco, Achimota, and a few others from the other institutions.

The Sports Council in the regions really worked and continued to train and monitor budding stars in the regions, preparing them for the Commonwealth Day Games, which later became the Founder’s Day Games. In the Western region the part of the Ghana Quartet that jointly held the Commonwealth 4X100 yards record with England, (Mike Ahey, Mike Okantey and another policeman whose name I cannot remember now) trained with Rose Hart (sprinter and hurdler) as the second anchor, at GSTS against the school’s relay teams.

It was the same with cricket and hockey, which culminated in the “Academicals Games” with Nigeria. Does it really require money? How about the Sports institutions in the country? Surely, Gambia, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and even Kenya (with very few natural resources ) cannot all be wealthier than Ghana! So it must boil down to organisation and leadership!
Adams 12 years ago

Lack of vision from the Ntafuor Administration is what the nation is going thru. There is no leadership with these Peppefours, period!!

Lack of vision from the Ntafuor Administration is what the nation is going thru. There is no leadership with these Peppefours, period!!
Kojo T 12 years ago

When we had inter colleges and the national day games we said it was communist. Like every thing by these NPP wizecas , they destroy but do not replace. We need to accept the Osagyefo and Ohene Gjan knew what they were doing ...
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When we had inter colleges and the national day games we said it was communist. Like every thing by these NPP wizecas , they destroy but do not replace. We need to accept the Osagyefo and Ohene Gjan knew what they were doing. Let us swallow our pride and go back to things , policies, strategies that work
Ofori Quaah 12 years ago

It is a general malaise in Ghanaian society. Ghana competed with Nigeria annually in cricket, hockey, football and athletics long before independence! It was Acheampong who re-constituted them into "Ghana-Nigeria Games" in 19 ...
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It is a general malaise in Ghanaian society. Ghana competed with Nigeria annually in cricket, hockey, football and athletics long before independence! It was Acheampong who re-constituted them into "Ghana-Nigeria Games" in 1975.

How about the West African University Games that began about 1967? Our problem is that we cannot learn from our history and move on. Many of us are stuck in the past!
Ofori Quaah 12 years ago

"Commonwealth Day Games" actually began as "Empire Day Games" in the colonial days. As more countries becme independent, Canada, Ausrtalia and India argued for the name to be changed to 'Commonwealth Day Games', which later b ...
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"Commonwealth Day Games" actually began as "Empire Day Games" in the colonial days. As more countries becme independent, Canada, Ausrtalia and India argued for the name to be changed to 'Commonwealth Day Games', which later became Founder's Day games in Ghana!
Kwadwo 12 years ago

Ws had men like coach Adjin Tetteh, Kutu Acheampong, Bob Kotei, Sam Nelson, LTK Ceaser and others who were dedicated to athletics. They committed resources to track and field and this nurtured talent from the various second ...
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Ws had men like coach Adjin Tetteh, Kutu Acheampong, Bob Kotei, Sam Nelson, LTK Ceaser and others who were dedicated to athletics. They committed resources to track and field and this nurtured talent from the various secondary schools and training colleges. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Yamin and Muntaka are not in that league of great administrators of yesteryear. We are in trouble.
Kwesi Agbenu 12 years ago

Prof Dodoo acted bla bla takashie wanting to take over Athletics and Olympic Committees. He was all over the place. He has got them and he is exposed as hollow and empty. The typical NDC bugabuga, takashie ways

Prof Dodoo acted bla bla takashie wanting to take over Athletics and Olympic Committees. He was all over the place. He has got them and he is exposed as hollow and empty. The typical NDC bugabuga, takashie ways
paa kwesi 12 years ago

we have reduced the equation to football, aka soccer. cost of equipment aside virtually every activity is centered in Accra. hockey, is heard of only in accra. can you believe that tumu had butu sticks? indeed we have to go b ...
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we have reduced the equation to football, aka soccer. cost of equipment aside virtually every activity is centered in Accra. hockey, is heard of only in accra. can you believe that tumu had butu sticks? indeed we have to go back to the drawing board, and seriously re-look at doing things right. from founders day games, national day games, national sports festival, national unity games, what's the next name. and calling rsdos to send regional contingents to kumasi for unity games is surely a recipe for mediocrity - a fun. did regions had time to prepare from the districts, and adequately too? asem sebe

Kojo T 12 years ago

What about yourselves? NPP and blah , blah , blah. 8 years and what did you do about the other sports? NOTHING

What about yourselves? NPP and blah , blah , blah. 8 years and what did you do about the other sports? NOTHING
Paul Amuna 12 years ago

If you are ignorant enough not to know what your freedoms are and what you can do, then you will remain like a little bird who is too lazy to learn how to fly when the mother is trying everything to make him see commonsense.

If you are ignorant enough not to know what your freedoms are and what you can do, then you will remain like a little bird who is too lazy to learn how to fly when the mother is trying everything to make him see commonsense.
LONTO-BOY 12 years ago

Kwasi, thanks for this piece. At the moment, Ghana's Athletics is in extremely poor state. Our Athletics could have been better run. Ghana can't achieve success in athletics/sports with ad hoc/short term initiatives. Ghana's ...
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Kwasi, thanks for this piece. At the moment, Ghana's Athletics is in extremely poor state. Our Athletics could have been better run. Ghana can't achieve success in athletics/sports with ad hoc/short term initiatives. Ghana's Athletics has been overlooked by our successive Governments, in terms of its funding and development. And of cause, the administrators responsible for the country's Athletics have failed to initiate grassroot athletics programs to unearth talents. Gone are the days, when the nation produced promising athletes from secondary school programs[Interco and Superzo]. The school programs from the Basic/Elementary to Secondary/Tertiary levels produced raw talents and promising athletes who went on to represent Ghana at the African Games and the Olympics. Schools such as OWASS, St Augustine's, Adisadel, Prempeh, Amass, Wesco, Achimota among others produced national athletes through the "Interco" programs.

The funding from the Government to National Athletics is just inadequate. Essentially, our national athletes should be given financial incentives and sponsorship to study and improve on their techniques. For the country to be successful at the World Athletics championships, Olympics and African Games, the Government must invest in Track and Field facilities. There's also the need to improve Athletics coaching in the country.

Ghana could also seek the assistance/expertise of Jamaica Athletics body in training our athletes and improving the techniques of our coaches.

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So, we can’t run, jump or throw, Simple?

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