Athletes angry over unpaid bonuses

Information available to Today shows that athletes who represented Ghana in the 18th edition of the African Athletics Championship Games (AAC 2012) are furious with authorities of the Ministry of Sports over unpaid bonuses.
Some of the athletes said they are angry because bonuses promised them for the AAC games they attended from June 27 to July 1, 2012 are yet to be paid to them.
Corroborating Today’s findings, three times All-Africa Games heptathlon champion, Margaret Simpson, said “the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) has not been fair to us at all, …they owe athletes who won medals for the country bonuses since July last year.
“I had to participate in the individual javelin throw event to win the only gold medal for Ghana… with an injury because I knew nobody had won gold [for Ghana] in that competition. Yet my bonus has not been paid,” she lamented.
Before Margaret Simpson travelled from Mauritius where she is based to camp the GAA had already negotiated bonuses with her colleague athletes.
“…The Athletics Association assured my colleague athletes that one gets $5,000.00 for winning gold; $3,500.00 for winning silver, and; $2,500.00 for winning bronze… [Additionally,] those who would progress to the Final 8 would receive $400…, but all these promises have not been fulfilled,” she disclosed.
The heptathlon queen indicated that she knows their promised bonuses for reaching the Final 8 would not be paid, but she is demanding the $5,000.00 bonus she deserves for winning the gold medal for Ghana.
Among other things, Margaret Simpson says, she would use part of the money to help develop young female athletes.
When Today reached him, the General Secretary of the GAA, Mr. Bawah Fuseini, admitted Margaret Simpson is not the only athlete who has not been given her bonus.
He went on to disclose that “the women 400 metres relay team comprising Rosina Amenebede, Flings Owusu Agyapong, Beatrice Gyaman and Janeth Amponsah; and the men 400 metres relay team comprising of Emmanuel Appiah Kubi, Timothy Abeyie, Ashad Agyapong and Allah Laryea Akrong, who won silver and bronze medals respectively have also not received their bonuses.”
He added that “Three individual athletes, Abdul Majid, Ignatius Gaisah and John Ampomah, have also not received their bonuses.”
According to him, the GAA has paid all the per diem due the athletes and that it is now the “responsibility of the ministry of sports and the government to release the bonuses for the athletes.”
“It is not as if we are not doing anything about the matter, the GAA has persistently asked government about the bonuses, but nothing positive has come of it,” Bawah Fuseini told the paper.