...Will Join Officials For ?Olympic Vacation?.
We all know how proud we feel seeing our sports men and women do well in international sports competition. Despite the best efforts of both local and foreign based athletes, it seems the nation, especially officials at all levels cannot be bothered. I am not referring to the often vague communiqu? from officials but rather, the lack of action i.e., follow through.

It?s been less than a year since our athletes put a smile on the faces of Ghanaians all around the world after a stellar performance in Abuja. Their achievements were made all the more remarkable when it came to light that the nation did not invest a cedi towards their preparation. Rather, the athletes had to literally beg, relying on personal contacts and resources to ensure that they were adequately prepared. It is now known that in August 2003, five members of ?our? famous relay team had to share a single room in Germany so that they could train together as a team.

After Abuja, the team was welcomed home as heroes and heroines and the Honorable President of Ghana, called for all the expenses borne by the athletes in preparation for the 2003 games to be reimbursed. Sadly, nothing has been done about that. During his meeting with the team after the success in Abuja, his Excellency, President Kuffuor, promised the athletes that preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games should start as early as January 2004. For the first time in Ghana?s athletic history, the possibility of an Olympic medal seemed to loom large that October afternoon.

Unfortunately for the athletes, all these promises are yet to be delivered. What is disheartening is that because these athletes chose to believe the promises made by the President, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, the GOC and the GAA, the chances of Ghana fielding a quality team for the Olympics has all but disappear. Most of the athletes feel deeply betrayed with the consensus being ?we were ill-advised into believing that help will be available this time around?. Why mislead them about a timely, organized and early preparation assistance starting in January 2004? We are now in May, three months from the start of the Olympics, and yet the athletes have not received the promised help.

I am not a sportsman but it strikes me as highly irresponsible for a country to officially spend less than 3 months on preparation (assistance) for its elite athletes. According to third party information, some of the athletes who have qualified for the Games are considering tapering down their training to invest in work related activities in order to secure some of the much need funding for training.

The bombshell is that it now seems that the famous relay team may not compete in Athens due to this preparation debacle. New IOC rules stipulate that only the top16 teams in the world will be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games. Ghana has fallen in the 4X100 meter relay rakings to 13th. Three more teams and we are out

No country should ask more from its citizens than it is willing to do for them. In the case of the management of athletics, it seems that the nation is not willing to do anything (so far) this year for these athletes. I am sure we already have a ?boat? load of officials and dignitaries lined up for the trip to Athens. I say, let the ?Olympic Vacation? begin with officials in the lead.