Other Sports of Tuesday, 30 September 2003

Source: GNA

We are fired up- Contingent

Accra, Sept 30, GNA - Ghana's contingent to the All Africa Games in Abuja Nigeria are confident of making the nation proud at the Games scheduled to kick off on October 4.

Some members of the contingent GNA Sports spoke to, stated that they were fired up for the Games and assured that they would come back with more medals than the previous years' whilst others vowed to improve upon their records.

The athletes made the vow when Mr. Rashid Bawa Minister of State in Charge Youth education and Sports paid a goodwill visits to the camps of the various national teams on Monday.

Eric Hammond, a member of the table tennis team, the Golden Loopers said their participation in the World Championship in France recently has given them enough experience for the African fiesta. Hammond said he and his colleagues have trained well enough for the Games and the presence of the minister has further gingered them up to go for the ultimate, adding "nothing can stop us from bringing home medals".

Mr. Norbert Amefu of the Tae Kwon Do team said the sport has a record of winning medals at Games and they are going to follow the tradition by giving the nation medals from Abuja.

He said the team is set go beyond bronze and silver medals because each member of the squad is confident of winning a gold medal. Nana Yaw, Captain of the Handball team said the leadership of the team has resolved all disciplinary problems within the rank and file of the players are battle ready.

He said the team at the last Games in South Africa won a bronze medal but stated, "we are coming back with a gold medal this time." The captain assured the minister and his entourage that his side would make the nation proud in Abuja, while the Karate Do team said in unison that less than five medals from their sport will mean an under performance.

They were of the view that the team will enhance the medal standing of the nation at the Games.

The judo, volleyball boxing and the athletics teams expressed similar sentiments and called on Ghanaians to rally behind them financially and spiritually.

Mr. Bawa in response to the promises of the various teams said he would develop special interests in the matches of all the discipline and tasked them to leave by their promises.