Government Support Key to African Athletes’ Success in Athletics

President of Ghana Athletics, Bawa Fuseini has expressed confidence in the country’s prospects at the All African Games, attributing their potential success to the unwavering support received from the government.

At a media briefing held on the periphery of the ongoing games on Sunday, March 17, 2024, Fuseini emphasized the significant strides made by Ghana’s athletics team, particularly in relay events, thanks to government backing facilitated by the Minister for Youth and Sports.

“This time we’ve very good 4×4 athletes. I can’t remember the last time we had one, and they’re going to compete in the men’s 4×4 as well as mixed relay,” stated Fuseini, highlighting the positive impact of government support on the team’s composition and competitiveness.

He credited recent government assistance for local competitions over the past three years, which has led to notable improvements in various athletic disciplines.

Fuseini also lauded the government’s commitment to enhancing technical proficiency within the sport, noting that 110 technical officials were trained, all of whom successfully passed their exams. This investment in technical assistance and officiating, according to Fuseini, positions Ghana favorably in terms of organizational capacity and operational efficiency.

“With government support, we’ve seen significant progress in developing strong relay teams, high jumpers, and sprinters,” affirmed the Federation President.

The briefing also saw the unveiling of athletic gear by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to be used by Team Ghana in the All African Games.

The Ministry also took the opportunity to announce welfare packages for athletes who perform at the games. Gold medalists take home $3,000, silver medalists get $2,000 and bronze medalists will be rewarded with $1,000. In addition a GHS1,000 per diem will be made available for the about 500 Ghanaian athletes participating in the games.