‘Ghana can win swimming medal in 2024’
Acting national swimming coach, Abbiw Jackson, has tipped swimming prodigy, Abeiku Gyekye Jackson, who holds three national records as a potential medal winner for the 2024 Olympic Games.
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According to Coach Jackson, the 15-year-old swimmer, who trains with the famous GH Dolphins, formerly known as the Tesano Dolphins, at the Burma Camp Leisure Centre in Accra is on track to end Ghana's drought in the pool as long as he continues to improve upon his swimming times.
He said, "With Abeiku we have a detailed plan that involves him improving upon his times and competing at certain landmark events till he turns 24 and competes at the 2024 Olympics.
"The plan starts this August at the FINA World Championships in Russia where we have no major expectations but to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics Two years later he needs to be in the semis of the Commonwealth Games in 2018, then the semis of the 2020 Olympics, followed by an appearance in the finals of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and then, hopefully a medal at the 2024 Olympics," he added.
Mr Jackson also predicted a difficult All Africa Games campaign for Abeiku and the other Ghanaian swimmers, noting that the gap between African swimmers, especially those from South Africa, has narrowed.
"I am never disappointed when our young swimmers don't win medals at this stage of their development; I want to see improvement in their times at this age.
At the All Africa Games, a nation like South Africa will be coming with top swimmers who are very experienced, maybe Olympian Chad Le Clos will not be there but the gap in swimming has narrowed in recent years so Ghanaian expectations must be measured.", he stated.
Mr Jackson also noted that the development of swimming in Ghana had stalled as a result of the swimming pool at the Accra Stadium being converted into a car park in 2008.
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"We need an aquatic arena in Ghana, a swimming pool should not be in a stadium which was constructed purposely for football, otherwise it will always suffer when major football tournaments are hosted.
"There are lot more talents out there and they must be found and encouraged if Ghana is to have a strong national team."