The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) last Friday unveiled a 10-member contingent for this year’s Summer Youth Olympic Games (officially known as the III Summer Youth Olympic Games).
Officials of GOC gave the assurance that Team Ghana is certain to return home with medals from the competition slated for October 6 to18 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Five athletes, four coaches and a Chef de Mission, make up the team for the event.
The athletes are swimmer and team captain, Abeiku Jackson (coached by Jonathan Amoako-Atta), male beach volley pair, Eric Tsatsu and Kevin Carboo (coached by Moro Mumuni), weightlifter Sandra Mensimah Owusu (coached by Nii Otoo Larkyne) and 400 metres runner Solomon Diaffo.
Chef de Mission, Evans Yeboah, promised to return home with positive results.
He mentioned that the GOC in collaboration with its sponsors, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Authority, had pulled out all the stops including an attractive bonus structure and good preparation to ensure that they were primed for success.
He noted that the bonus structure of the team will see gold medal winners receiving $5,000 while silver and bronze medal winners will receive $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.
The President of GOC, Ben Nunoo Mensah added his voice to the refrain urging the youngsters who are no strangers to winning medals after competing at the African Youth Games last July to use the exploits of Youth Olympic Games medal winner Martha Bissah as their inspiration.
Martha won Gold in the 800 metres race during the 2014 edition of the Youth Games in Nanjing, China after winning bronze in the Africa Youth Games that same year and Mr Mensah has tipped the youngsters to follow in her steps.
He also revealed that a sponsor of the GOC had also promised an additional $1,000 for any of the medal winners.
In an address, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Perry Curtis Kwabla Okudzeto, said his outfit had catered for the allowances, bonuses and competition attire for the team while the GOC catered for air tickets, competition and general kitting for the team.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum