9 Sportsmen + 13 Officails + 1 President = 0 Medals

The Beijing Olympics ended Sunday with the host nation grabbing a list-topping 51 gold medals. Below is a summary of Ghana's "achievments" at the games

• President Kufuor attended the opening ceremony

• Ghana fielded 9 sportsmen - 6 boxers & 3 field & track

• 13 officials accompanied the 9 sportsmen

• ... still not clear how many ministers attended ;)

• Team Ghana came up with 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze.

• One of Africa's top sprinters, Vida Anim, did not compete in the women's 200m over the lack of support from Ghana's National Olympic Committee.

Comments

"For a country with a sports minister (most countries don't) this is a real disappointment" - said a sports analyst.

"THE greatest success story coming out of the games so far, is the 2.5 million people from Jamaica."

"Our performance at the Beijing Olympics was "reasonable." - Govt Official

Ghana's results

Atheletics

• Seth AMOO failed to make it past the first round in the 200m

  ANIM Vida did not start the 200m

• 17 Aug. : Vida Anim, failed in her bid to qualify for the finals of the women 100 metres event. Vida finished last in the first semi-final race of the day with a time of 11.51 sec in a race won by Jamaica’s Fraser Shelly-Ann Before Vida’s debacle, the three-time Olympian had placed second with a time of 11.47 sec in her first heats on Saturday,

• Aziz Zakari crashed out after two rounds and after finishing fifth in his second heats and subsequently failing to qualify for a place in the semi-finals of the mens 100m. Zakari returned to the tracks only a few months ago after serving a two-year worldwide ban following a positive drugs test in 2006.

Boxing

Ghana’s quest for a medal at this year’s Olympics have been dealt a very heavy blow as all the six boxers except Manyo Plange have been eliminated from the competition.

Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008
Washington Silva of Brazil defeated Bastie Samir of Ghana in a men's light heavyweight 81 kilogram preliminary boxing match

Aug 13: Manyo Plange defeated Fillipino Harry Tañamor on a 6-2 decision in the Light flyweight

Aug. 10: Bradley Saunders(UK) took just 144 seconds to floor Ghana's Samuel Kotey twice and steam-roller into the second round

Aug. 09, 2008

• Men's 75-81kg - Round of 32 Bout 02
  Bastie Samir(GHA) defeated Dauda Izobo(NGR) by TKO

• Men's 69-75kg Round of 32 summary
  Andranik Hakobyan(ARM) defeated Ahmed Saraku(GHA) on Points 14-8

Tits & Bits

• Ghanaian boxers have been unable to win any medal since the 1972 Games staged in Munich where Prince Amartey won bronze
• Ghana has a boxer - Bastie Samir - who is 4-foot-8 and 179 pounds. When translated to English, Bastie Samir loosely means Short, Fat Guy.