Accra, Feb. 21, GNA - Five local athletes were picked even before the national athletics championship kick-started in the Togolese capital Lome on Tuesday, to augment the foreign-based team for next month's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

Three of the athletes from the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), are Clement Agyeman for 100 and 200 metres events, Robert Martey, long jump and Georgina Sowah, long jump.

Gifty Addy of the Immigration Service has been selected for 100 and 200 metres with Elizabeth Amelofo of the Ghana Police Service to compete in the 100, 200 and the 400 metres, were selected ahead of the trials at the Stade de Kegue in Lome due to their recent performances. An official of the Ghana Athletics Association and a member of the selection team who pleaded anonymity, told the GNA Sports that any of those selected may only be dropped from the final list if they fail to glitter at the Lome championship.

The chosen five would add up to 16 others from Europe and the Americas who had automatic entry because of their being active on the international scene and monitoring of their exploits.

The rest of the 137 Ghanaian athletes from the security services and the schools and colleges would be competing for places for the August All African Games in Mauritius and other future competitions. The two-day trials, which ends on Wednesday also features some Togolese nationals in the 110 hurdles and 100 metre races for men, 5,000 and 10,000 metre races for men and 8,000 metres in the ladies division. The Togolese are also using the race to select their athletes for the Francophone Games later in the year.