Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has likened Ghanaian athletes, particularly, short distance runners to their Jamaican counterparts.
To the Vice President, the thin line between Ghanaian athletes and their Jamaicans counterparts makes him certain that given the needed support, the sport will put Ghana back to the world stage.
He therefore charged the sport’s stakeholders, Reks Brobby, founder, GNPC Ghana Fastest Human, Youth and Sports Ministry and Ghana Athletics Association, to put their houses in order to restore its lost glory.
Launching the sixth Ghana Fastest Human project in Accra last Friday, he said “Ghanaians have anatomical, physiological and motor qualities that are similar to the Jamaicans.
“There is no reason, therefore, why, if we do the right thing Ghanaians cannot do equally good or even better than the Jamaicans in the sprint events in athletics.
“We recall the days when the Olympic Games
sprint finals line-up will not be complete without a Ghanaian among the eight
fastest humans on earth.”
He added “We recall in 1966
at the Commonwealth Games 4×100 yards where Ghana won Gold, beating Jamaica and
the UK in that event. Ghana can even do better when we establish high-performance
training centres for sprint and jumping in athletics.”
The Vice president pointed out that “we are in
an era at the international games where victors mount the stages, national
anthems are played, athletes compete in their national colours; and so called
on Ghanaian athletes to make impact.
He tasked the Ghana Athletics Association and officials of the Sports Ministry
for a joint evaluation of the Fastest Human initiative and promised
government’s support when the need arises.
The Ghana Fastest Human Race project
is a seven-year initiative aimed at raising athletes to make impact in the 2020
Olympics as well as restore the dwindling fortunes of sprint athletics in
Ghana.
Brobby indicated at the launch that just as East Africa is blessed with long distance abilities, Ghana is a force to reckon with in sprint; recalling the exploits of Ohene Karikari, Mike Ahey, Alice Anum, Reks Brobby, Leo Myles Mills, Emmanuel ‘Koora’ Tuffour among others.
Jamaica, doubtlessly has over the years proven to be the world’s athletics powerhouse.
By Kofi Owusu AduonumP