Ghana departs for Rio Olympics
Ghana’s Olympic contingent of 16 athletes and officials departed Accra for Johannesburg last night en route to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games.
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The trip is being sponsored by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
In a move that signals a broader scope of support for sports, the GNPC indicated at a ceremony in Accra last Saturday that it would support the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) to identify and nurture talents to ensure that Ghana was adequately represented on the world stage, in particular, at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and at the Olympic Games at Japan in 2020.
The CEO of GNPC, Mr Alexander Mould, said: “The Olympics are the world’s biggest spectacle and we are proud to play our part to ensure that Ghana participates.
"Although most people associate us with football, GNPC is already expanding its scope across sports, and working with key stakeholders to identify where we can make the most impact through infrastructure, partnerships and initiatives.
"We are already sponsoring Ghana’s Fastest Human competition, to help produce formidable athletes that can feed into a sustained Olympic programme for Ghana.”
GOC president, Professor Francis Dodoo, in acknowledging GNPC’s support, observed that GNPC’s role as an enabler in the area of sports development was timely and strategic.
"The current Ghana Olympics squad, comprise young athletes, with an average age of 22 years. We believe exposure at the Rio Olympics will develop them further to make a bigger impact in 2020.
"We also have the fastest female 100 metres quartet in Africa who have recorded the fastest time ever. All of these mean that we have a great future.”