Amankwah, Amponsah miss World Championships

Accra, Aug. 24, GNA - Alex Amankwah and Janet Amponsah, Ghana's representatives at the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships fixed for August 22-30 in Beijing, would not participate at the event due to difficulties getting a Chinese visa.

Amankwah and Amponsah, both new national record holders, sent their visa applications to the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, but their applications were denied despite receiving an official invitation letter from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), supporting their applications.

Approximately two weeks later, their passports were returned by the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC indicating denial of their visa applications.

The Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) President, Prof. Francis Dodoo who was already in China for the IAAF Congress, managed to get the LOC, working with Chinese immigration and IAAF, to issue a visa-upon-arrival letter.

However, the United Airlines declined to let the duo board their flight to China using the visa-on-arrival document.

GNA