Track & Field News of Thursday, 16 October 2003

Source: AYO BADA, ABDULRAHMA AKPATA, Abuja

Ghanaian athletes blast officials

Ghanaian sprinters, who pocketed the gold medal in the 4x400m relay race at the on going 8th All Africa games in Abuja, have commented on their victory.

The victorious quartet of Nsiah Christian, Nkansah Eric, Zakari Azziz and Leo Myles-mills were unanimous in stressing that winning the gold had erased the impression back home that they were not good enough to make much progress.

Nsiah Christian told the News Agency of Nigeria that their officials, who abandoned them, should bury their heads in shame.

“ We were misunderstood and thank God our victory has cleansed us.” Myles-mills, anchor man for the quartet, who lost the

100m title to Nigeria’s Deji Aliu, said though he was disappointed by loosing his title, he was “ happy to have run a victorious race”.

Zakari Azziz chipped in to call on their admirers in Ghana to shun the wrong impressions about the quartet adding,” we never derailed in spite of the wrong impressions created about us.”

NAN reports that the Ghanaians up stagged Nigeria for the gold in the 4x100metre in 38.63 seconds in the event popularly identified as the most glamorous in athletics