The Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) has assured the general public that it will participate in the upcoming 2011 World championships since it retains its status with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). It said despite the misinformation making the rounds in the aftermath of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) suspension by the International Olympic Committee, the GAA received favourable communication from the Secretary-General of the IAAF, Mr Pieere Weiss after the IOC ban.

Weiss in the communication indicated that the IAAF is not the ‘IOC and so far as we are concerned our relationship with your federation is still good; you can attend all our competitions but speak to Lamine Faty, Secretary General of the Confederation of African Athletics about the All Africa Games.’ Mr Bawah Fuseini, Secretary General of the GAA in a press release copied to GNA Sports in Accra on Monday therefore urged all Ghanaian athletes, both at home and abroad ‘to continue to prepare themselves for the national assignments that we have ahead of us in 2011, the World Athletics Championship in Daegu, Korea in August and the All-Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique in September, 2011. He added that further communication with Lamine Faye indicates that Ghana is also welcome to participate in the All-Africa Games as long as the GAA is in good standing with the IAAF. Mr Fuseini said with the current correspondence, the relationship between the GAA and its international federations – the IAAF, Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) and West Africa Athletics Federations is stronger than ever. He added that last Friday after the suspension of the GOC, the CAA extended an invitation to the GAA to participate in the Africa Cross Country competition in South Africa in March 2011.

The West Africa Zone 11 Athletics Federation has also asked Ghana to host the West African Junior Athletics Championship in Accra in April or May 2011. He explained that although the GOC ban means that the National Sports Associations including the GAA cannot take part in Olympic competitions, the respective Associations can compete in all other regional, continental and global competitions.

“Of course, though we are definitely committed to contributing our quota in the collaborative effort to remedy the problem that led to the GOC ban, we are hopeful that the best case situation would see GAA and its athletes as well as Ghana’s sportsmen and women competing in all competitions, including the 2012 Olympics.” He added.