Athletics- Gym and tartan tracks for Accra Stadium

Accra (Greater Accra), 12 May ’99 -

Mr E. T. Mensah, Minister of Youth and Sports on Tuesday asked the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Ghana Amateur Athletics Association (GAAA), to furnish the ministry, with specifications for a new tartan track for the Accra Sports Stadium.

This would enable the ministry to seek support for the construction of a new track since the present one is very old and athletes are likely to develop ankle injuries, sore foot and blisters, when they run on it.

He said, a new gym would also be built at the Stadium and electronic timers and other gadgets provided.

Mr Mensah was speaking when the officials of the GAAA the NSC called on him to introduce athletes, who won medals at the just ended West Africa Junior Athletics Championships in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire on May six and seven.

The athletes won seven, gold, four, silver and one bronze medal.

Mr Mensah called on the NSC and the GAAA to find the means of nurturing, grooming and motivating the athletes so that they could win more laurels for the country at the senior level.

Earlier, Colonel George Brock, the Acting Chief Executive of the NSC had appealed to the government for more equipment at all the regional capitals to enhance the unearthing and training of talented athletes.

He said, most athletic competitions are held at the Kumasi Sports Stadium because it had better tartan tracks than that at the Accra Stadium.

"A new tartan track for the Accra Stadium will enhance the training of our athletes and our ability to host international competitions and give our budding athletes, the needed exposure", he said.

Mr N. A. Adjin-Tettey, chairman of the GAAA praised the young athletes, saying, "Ghana was represented with the least number of athletes, but we won most of the medals especially, in the sprints".

He said the athletes, who were selected during the National Junior Championships in Kumasi two weeks ago, won gold medals in the 100, 200, 400, 4X100, 4X400 metre races and the mile medley races.

Vida Anim won gold in the 100 and 200 metre races, Gifty Addy won gold in the 400 and silver in the 100 metre races, Ernest Osei won silver in the 100 metres while Graham Aidoo and Lilly Boateng won the 200 metres silver and bronze respectively.

The athletes will each receive 150,000 cedis for every gold medal, 100,000 cedis for silver and 50,000 cedis for a bronze medal won.

GRi.../