Track & Field News of Monday, 5 August 2013

Source: Joy Online

Athletics in Ghana is not dead - Prof Dodoo

Ghana Athletics Chairman Professor Francis Dodoo has dismissed talks that Athletics in the country is on the decline.

This follows comments after the association managed to send only one athlete for this month's IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Team Ghana cannot boast of a high profile athlete for major championships now following the nationality switch of long Jumper Ignatius Gaisah and the retirement of Hepthalete Margaret Simpson.

But Professor Dodoo, who doubles as President of the Ghana Olympic Committee, is refusing to accept that the sport is facing challenges.

According to him, Ghana will come good for the next Olympics in Rio De Janeiro in 2016.

"The sport isn’t dead, I think what is happening is that a lot of people are looking at this year which has been a very peculiar year and are basing their arguments on," he told Joy Sports.

"I really don’t blame anybody who wants to do that but then again the historical record is something that is really important for setting up the context to where we are today.

"We have always had a good number of people in all the events, unfortunately over the last decade that hasn’t been the case, but I believe with the hard work we putting in things will change for the better," he said.

Ghana has presented sprinter Janet Amposah for this month's IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia. She will compete in the 200 metres event.