Armed Forces sweep medals at SESSA Games

The Ghana Armed Forces emerged as the undisputed tops in both men's and women's competitions in the Ghana Athletics Open Championship for Security Services Sports Association (SESSA) at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon over the weekend.

National sprint star, Mary Boakye, took gold in both women's 100 and 200 metres and Shaibu Marizuk also completed the sprint double in the men's division as the Armed Forces won almost all the 15 events for men and 12 for women during the two-day meet.

Determined to serve notice of their readiness for the Africa Armed Forces Athletics Championships in Abuja, Nigeria, later this month, the Armed Forces amassed 327 points in the men’s competition, a mammoth 251 more than Ghana Immigration in 2nd place while Ghana Prisons scored 57 points to finish 3rd.

With 198 points, Armed Forces were again overwhelming winners of the women's competition, far ahead of runners-up, Immigration's 63 and the 37 for Prisons who came 3rd.

Ghana National Fire Service and GRA - Customs Division were the other agencies to also win medals at the competition organised by Ghana Athletics (GA) in partnership with SESSA and the University of Ghana Sports Directorate.

The idea was to revive the highly revered SESSA Games between security services involving several sporting disciplines which had been inactive for more than a decade.

Indeed, only a few events eluded the high-flying Armed Forces team like the 800m which saw Sadiq Aloo of Prisons and Reina Tuolong of Fire win the men's and women's titles respectively.

Faustina Owusu also won the discus throw for GRA-Custom, while Alhassan Ridwan and Ezequeen Dadzie, both of Prisons won the shot putt for men and women respectively.

David Nakuosi of Prisons also beat the Armed Forces duo of Daniel Abotsi Gawuga and Daniel Frimpong in the men's 1,500m but Solomon Diafo and Mariama Fatao, both of the Armed Forces won men's and women's 400m gold.

In other events, Armed Forces were again the winners of gold in women's 1500m, 5,000m in both divisions, 110m hurdles in both divisions, high jump in both divisions, long jump in both divisions, javelin in both men and women, 4x100m both divisions, 4x400m both divisions and discuss throw men.