Ghana ready for Olympic Games
Ghana’s Olympic contingent made a rather quiet entry to Rio for the Olympic Games with the country sending 16 debutants to sports’ biggest global gathering with very little expectation of the team by Ghanaians.
Ghana has very little clout in Olympic Games history, having won just four medals since the country first participated in the 1952 Games in Helsinki, with Ghana’s last medal coming 24 years ago when the Black Meteors won bronze in Barcelona ‘96 --Africa’s first football medal at the Olympics.
At this month’s Summer Games, however, there is very little expected of Ghana’s relatively inexperienced athletes who will compete in track and field, boxing, judo, weightlifting and swimming.
Perhaps one of the brightest prospects is boxer, Abdul Wahid Omar, a medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, who has been tipped by his former trainer to do exploits in Rio as Ghana searches for its first gold medal in Olympic boxing, with Clement ‘Ike’ Quartey blazing the trail with a silver at the Games in 1960, followed by Eddie Blay (bronze at Tokyo ’64) and Prince Amartey (bronze at Munich ‘72).
Ghana hopes to make a big splash in the pool with youngster Abeiku Jackson, competing at a wild card qualifier. Coached by his father, Abbiw Jackson, 16-year-old Abeiku goes into the competition on the back of an impressive record of winning 33 gold medals and one silver medal at various junior international swimming competitions, aside the 13 national records he currently holds.
He will be in good company as Ghana will also be represented in swimming by Spain-based teenage sensation, Adwoa Kaya Forson.
All eyes would also be on athletics where Flings Owusu-Agyapong, who helped Ghana to win silver in the women’s 4x100 metres relay at the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville, will team up with Dorcas Gyimah, Gemma Acheampong, Beatrice Gyaman and Janet Amponsah as Ghana puts together a strong quartet for the sprints relay.
Athletics will see 26-year-old Sean Safo-Antwi competing in Ghana colours for the first time since making a nationality switch early this year.
The sprinter comes into the competition with a depth of experience having represented Great Britain at various competitions, including European Indoor Championship and IAAF World relay in Bahamas.
Other hopefuls in the track and field events are Emmanuel Dasor (200m), John Ampomah (javelin) and Emmanuel Amankwah (800m).
Ghana will be looking to Christian Amoah to make the nation proud in weightlifting while Szandra Szogedi competes in judo.
