Martial Art of Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Source: Sammy Heywood Okine

Ghana’s top judoka ejected from Commonwealth Games

Ghanaian Judoka Emmanuel Nartey has been ejected from the Ghanaian contingent and the 2014 Commonwealth Games Village for gross indiscipline with immediate effect.

According to a Press Release from the Ghana Press Attaché, Erasmus Kwaw, Nartey’s accreditation for the Commonwealth Games has also been withdrawn by the Ghana Olympic Committee with immediate effect.

Nartey, who is a serving officer in the British Army, showed gross disrespect to the Ghanaian officials after he was paid his allowances on Sunday morning. Nartey accosted Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Vincent Oppong Asamoah, about payment for expenses he insisted he had incurred, but for which he had not yet presented receipts.

He reacted disrespectfully when GOC officials asked him to channel the request through the Judo Federation officials, with the appropriate supporting documentation.

He started casting aspersions, calling the officials derogatory names while suggesting the amount to be paid him was very little compared to expenses that other athletes had been reimbursed for.

Despite pleas from his colleague judokas and coaches to withdraw his earlier statements and apologise, he failed to apologise to the Deputy Minister and GOC officials for his insulting behavior.

Nartey exited the judo competition at the ongoing Commonwealth Games last week.