GAA wants to destroy Martha Bissah — Ex-athletics boss

George Haldane Lutterodt, former chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association(GAA), has lashed out at the GAA for the way it has handled Martha Bissah’s qualification for the All Africa Games (AAG).

The young long distance runner failed to qualify for the AAG after two successive attempts.

Buyt Mr Lutterodt argued that the athlete was handed a raw deal when she was forced to compete in the 1,500 metres, considering that her strength was in the 800 metres.

He wondered whose idea it was to destroy the unique talent of the young athlete.

According to him, the GAA had not done enough to harness the talent of the Olympic gold medalist and feared the worst for the 17-year-old.

“There has been no technical reason for her to compete in the 1500 metres when she needed competition in the 800 metres to improve on her time”, he told the Graphic Sports in Accra at the weekend.

He also chided the GAA for not giving Martha the opportunity to participate in most major local and international competitions in the 800 metres which was her favourite event.

“Martha is now frustrated as a result of her failure to rise up to do her favourite race”, the former GAA boss stressed.

He wondered why the GAA failed to organise an elaborate national trials featuring both foreign-based and local athletes.

Meanwhile, Mr Lutterodt had desribed as arrogance and disrespectful the position the GAA took when former President Jerry John Rawlings criticised it for not doing enough to salvage the deplorable state of athletics.

He called on the GAA to rise up to its responsibility and map out strategies to salvage the dwindling fortunes of the sport.