No Pre-games trials For Foreign-based Athletes?

GHANA'S athletics team for the Abuja All Africa Games in October may be selected without Ghanaians having the opportunity of assessing their performance.This is because the nation has no appropriate facilities to assess the athletes , most of whom are foreign-based, and authorities are not so enthused about using facilities in neighbouring Togo as earlier planned.

Graphic Sports investigations have revealed that in an attempt to cut down on the huge cost involved, the foreign-based athletes who are usually brought down to justify their selection into the national team, through the special national meets, may not come down for the exercise. Rather, a special system has been put in place to monitor their performance at the various international competitions they compete in at their bases.

Ironically, the locally-based athletes would have to justify their selection through the national championship to be held in Kumasi next month . The lucky athletes to be selected will have to make the mark and points as stipulated by international rules and regulations, after which they would be sent to Europe to train alongside their foreign-based colleagues before they finally proceed to Abuja for the Games.

While keen observers have criticised the decision not to invite the foreign-based athletes, as has been the norm in the past, describing it as a recipe for the type of disaster that happened at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester last year, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, the acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) has defended the decision, saying holding such a 'justify-your-selection' exercise for the foreign-based athletes would be of no benefit to both the athletes and the nation.

In an interview, Dr Owusu Ansah said the present condition of the tartan tracks poses danger to all athletes, and for the local athletes the disadvantage is even worse. “Even though we are making efforts to replace the old tartan tracks, we do not have the facilities yet, and it would be worthless to ask the athletes, most of whom are training with first class facilities, to come down to Ghana and justify their inclusion only to be sent back abroad for training.

“For the local athletes, it's even more serious because they have no other means of improving upon their current levels, so until we are able to improve upon the conditions of the tartan tracks, which we are seriously pursuing, Ghanaians would not see the current standard of the local athletes,” he emphasised.Dr Owusu Ansah said out of the 15 athletes to represent the nation, about 75 per cent would be foreign-based athletes while local athletes make up the remaining 15 per cent.

Though he would not name the athletes likely to make the trip, Dr Owusu Ansah said the NSC and the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) are in constant touch with former Africa triple jump champion, Dr Francis Dodoo, and Andrew Owusu who are monitoring and providing the necessary information on the various athletes in Europe and the USA. He, however, mentioned Margaret Simpson, the only Ghanaian medalist at last year's Commonwealth Games, and Vida Anim, a former junior medalist.

Dr Owusu-Ansah also announced that funding has been approved for all sportsmen and sportswomen of the various disciplines who have qualified for the Games to begin a non-residential training session on June 1 before changing over to residential camping eight weeks to the Games. In addition, the Ghana contingent, expected to be made up of about 200 spotsmen and women, will leave for Abuja on September 27 and finalise training before the Games start on October 4.