Track & Field News of Wednesday, 25 October 2006

Source: GNA

74-year-old King for London marathon

Accra, 0ct 25, GNA -- One of Ghana's oldest marathoners King Tony Akwetey, will participate in the 2007 London Marathon, if he is able to make the international time, in the 20th National Milo Marathon this weekend.

King Tony, 74, will be sponsored by the Commonwealth Sports Awards, which is under the chairmanship of Al Hamilton.

The 74 year old runner is scheduled to make his 20th appearance in the National Milo Marathon competition this weekend.

King Akwetey told the GNA Sports, that the Commonwealth Sports Awards had agreed to foot all his bills for his participation in the competition next year hence, he was working hard to make the time required to qualify him.

However, King Akwetey, has no knowledge of his time despite participating in and completing every single marathon event in the past 19 years.

He attributed this to the failure of the organizers to record his time any time he completed the race, adding that the organizers had consistently ignored him all these years.

According to King Akwetey, the organizers usually abandoned the finishing point after some time, instead of waiting till the last person completed the race.

King Akwetey described the attitude of the organizers as unfair saying "they must take every participant serious and give him the due recognition."

But the oldest marathoner in Ghana indicated that he would never be discouraged by the attitude of the organizers since he was bent on competing in the event till "I burn out."

He however appealed to the organizers to refrain from the act, which he said could take some spark off the competition.

King Akwetey also expressed his displeasure at allegations that he had been hiring cars along the way to complete the race, adding that "I have completed every single marathon I participated in and never engaged in any form of illegality."