Offinso, (Ash), Nov 10, GNA -- Many tennis fans and enthusiasts at Offinso in the Ashanti Region who were anticipating to catch a glimpse of Serena Williams, former World women's number one tennis star during her recent visit to the country, were disappointed when she failed to turn up for a scheduled meeting with the fans on Tuesday.
According to an official of the United Nations (UN), the planned visit of Williams to Offinso was part of her itinerary as part of moves to whip up the interest of tennis among the youth in the area.
It was also to afford the American tennis star, seeing as a role model, the opportunity to psyche up the youth, women, basic school pupils and students to strive for excellence in their endeavours despite the challenges they face.
Some of the fans, especially pupils and students had converged at the forecourt of the Offinsohene's palace as early as 0700 hours with the hope of having a memorable day with the tennis icon but who failed to turn up for the scheduled meeting which was slated for the afternoon. Explaining the circumstances that resulted in the abortive meeting in an interview with the GNA Sports in Kumasi, Mr Nicholas Amponsah of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said circumstances beyond the control of the tennis star at the last hour forced the cancellation of her trip to Offinso.
Williams who arrived in the country last weekend, led a tennis clinic for about 60 children and 100 observers in Accra and also participated in UNICEF-sponsored activities to promote the national measles and polio immunisation exercise and the use of bed nets in fighting malaria during the week.
She has since left the country accompanied by her mother and other sisters.
Mr Amponsah, who is also the Project Co-ordinator of the localisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said whilst at Offinso, Williams was expected to have also delivered a talk on HIV/AIDS and ways to combat the pandemic which fall in line with the objectives of the MDGs to halt the spread of the disease by 2015.
He said in view of the inconvenience the abortive meeting caused to tennis enthusiasts, especially among pupils and students, his outfit has written a letter to the UNDP Headquarters to inform them of the development with the view to correcting such mistakes in future.
