Track & Field News of Friday, 4 August 2017

Source: sportsobama.com

Meet Ghana’s Track & Field reps at 2017 IAAF Championship

Nadia Ekeh Nadia Ekeh

This year’s World Championship is the 16th edition of World Championships, since its inception in 1983 in Helsinki and four Ghanaian athletes will have the opportunity to make a mark on the competition that will be held at London’s Olympic Stadium from August 4 to 13.

It is the largest representation Ghana has had at the World Championship in recent times which is an improvement of the two athletes that represented the country at the 2015 World Championships held in Beijing.

The Ghanaian continent will be hopeful of topping the two medals won by Igantius Gaizah (Silver) and Margaret Simpson (Bronze) in Helsinki 2005. Here are Ghana’s Track and Field Reps for London 2017

Nadia Eke

Nadia Eke is a US-based Ghanaian Triple Jumper was the first athlete to qualify for this year’s World Championships. Ghana’s Nadia Eke competes in the women’s triple jump at the IAAF World Championship this weekend!

She wrote on her Facebook account: “Taking a leap of faith this weekend”. With a personal best 13.93m, Nadia qualified for the Worlds as the African women’s triple jump champion, having clinched gold at the 2016 CAA Championships in Durban South Africa.

The national triple jump champion has been one of the most consistent Ghanaian athletes out there on the international circuit, winning silver at the 2014 CAA Championships and bronze at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo-Brazzaville.

The 24 year old goes into the IAAF Championships ranked 34th in the World. Indeed, she will be taking a leap of faith this weekend. ALSO READ: Ghana Premier League Club Sign Brazilian Striker Abner dos Santos

She’s holds the National record for both indoor and outdoor triple jump events and in 2014, she won silver medal for Ghana at the African Championships

Emmanuel Dasor



For Ghana’s Emmanuel Dasor, it is a dream come true to represent his nation and the African continent at the IAAF World Championships London 2017. When the former T. I. Amass student lines up in the men’s 400m at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, he would have competed in most of the world renowned athletics events in his international career.

In a career spanning 2012 to 2017, the Western Kentucky University student has represented Ghana at the IAAF World Juniors, Commonwealth Games, CAA Championships, All Africa Games and at the 2016 Rio Olympics last year. He won silver as a member of the men’s 4*100m relay team at the 2014 CAA Championships and bronze in the men’s 4*100m at the 2015 All Africa Games.

He wrote his name into Ghana athletics folklore when he run a splendid anchor as the men’s 4*400m broke the national record at the 2015 Warri Relays.

The 22 year old qualified for the Worlds posting a personal best 45.43s at an NCAA D1 event earlier in the season and will line up alongside the worlds 400m greats, especially his idol Wayde Van Niekerk in London.

Dasor goes to London ranked 41st in the World as at 23rd July, 2017. The dream is on.

The 23-year-old national 400m indoor record after running a personal best 46.21s to qualify for the Championships. Dasor is one of the 16 athletes representing Ghana at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.

Alex Amankwah



Alex Amankwah is middle distance runner who is considered on the brightest spot for Ghana at this year’s Athletics Championship and remains a medal hopeful.

The 25-year-old set a national record of 1min:44.80 seconds in 800metres earlier in the year which secured him qualification to the championship. Amankwah represented Ghana at the 2016 Olympic Games and holds both the national indoor and outdoor records for the 800 metres distance.

It is the second time that Amankwah has qualified for the IAAF World Championship but he will be looking forward to making his first appearance after missing out on the 2015 edition in China over difficulties with acquiring an entry visa to the Asian country.

Janet Amponsah



The Ghanaian sprinter will make her debut at this year’s World Championships having missed the 2015 World Championships in China due to problems with her entry visa.

The 24-year-old picked the qualification at the War Eagle Invitational Meet in the USA, where she clocked a time of 23.10s in the women’s 200m final. Amponsah represented Ghana at the Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympic Games Rio.