With less than three months to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia, Ghanaian based athletes are set to continue their quest to qualify for the Games when the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) opens its 5th National Circuit Championships at the Sekondi Sports stadium on Saturday, 27th January, 2018.

The Circuit, which is the biggest athletics meet on the domestic calendar, will serve to provide opportunities for Ghana-based athletes to qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April and the 2018 CAA Africa Senior Championships in Nigeria in August.

On the 5th anniversary of the Circuit, the athletics governing body has introduced non-circuit events on its calendar- including the women’s 100m and 400m, and the men’s 200m and 800m-to provide equal opportunities for athletes to meet the GAA’s qualifying standards which were published earlier this month.

The athletes will be fighting for point rankings in the 15 events below:

Women - 200m/400mH/800m/5000m/Triple Jump/High Jump/Javelin/DiscusMen - 100m/110mH/400m/1500m/10000m/Long Jump/Shot putNon-scoring events- women’s 100m and 400m, men’s 200m and 800m

Athletes drawn from the ten regions, Security Services, Ghana Education Service, and some tertiary institutions have registered to compete in the event.

This follows the successful Ghana University Sports Association Games held at Tamale about a week ago which saw some impressive performances by the country’s track and field stars in the universities.

Background to Circuit

At the inaugural event in 2014, which was sponsored by Sea & Shore Services (GH) Company Ltd and Interplast, athletes amassed points over the earlier competitions in Wa, Koforidua, Sekondi-Takoradi, with the final event at the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi crowning the top athletes in each event for the season.

In 2015, the pre-final Circuit competitions were held in Sunyani, Akatsi, Accra and the grand finale organised in Tamale.

In 2016, the pre-final Circuit competitions were held in Bolgatanga, Koforidua, Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi, with the final event in Cape Coast, meaning that in its three-year existence the Circuit Championship has visited all regions in the country. Last year, the pre-final Circuit events were held in Tamale, Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.