Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - Former captain of Ghana’s national weightlifting team, Bernard Senyo Fetrie has called on the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) to put up proactive measures to support the sport to make its mark in international competitions.

Fetrie emphasised the need for effective preparations of the weightlifting team so that the lifters are well conditioned with effective training regimen to put up their best performance during major events.

The former national champion who was speaking to GNA Sports in Accra at the week-end, noted that weightlifting requires adequate preparations and training as well as sound financial backing to succeed on the international scene.

He said, there is therefore the need to ensure provision of modern equipment to enhance preparations of the athletes to make the needed mark.

Fetrie urged the authorities and other stakeholders to focus on development of non-team sports mainly categorized as “lesser known” since they offer equal opportunity for athletes to win medals as compared to team sports like football.

He said development of non-team sporting disciplines such as weightlifting would go a long way in developing talents and the prowess of the youth, give them opportunity to earn a living and also create employment avenues for the youth loitering about or doing odd jobs in the urban centres.

Fetrie urged the sports authorities to ensure that budgetary allocation is evenly distributed to all disciplines, whilst personal interaction and collaboration is promoted to encourage athletes to put up their best performance.

The former captain has pledged to sponsor the national weightlifting team in kind and with donation of vitamin and other energy drinks to aid their preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He also called on the corporate bodies to lend their support to ensure that Team Ghana makes an impact at the Games.

Fetrie stressed the need for motivation for athletes preparing for major events to put them in a sound frame of mind to ensure better performance and also urged the National Sports Authority (NSA) to support athletes with the needed sporting equipment.

It would be recalled that the former national weightlifting champion brokered a deal for a training tour of Australia for Daniel Darko, Seth Dogbe Fetrie and Mawuenyo Trinity, all members of the national weightlifting team for the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.

He pledged further support for the team including Darko, Fetrie and Joe Sintim-Aboagye in their training regimen ahead of the London Olympic Games.

Fetrie however expressed his disappointment at the total neglect of some of the sporting disciplines for the popular ones and called for a change of attitude and focus to raise Ghana's flag high at international meets.