Ghana's sprinters start off in Douala Championships

Ghana's athletes start the quest for African glory as well as push for the 2024 Olympic Games slots when the 23rd edition of the African Championships get underway Friday afternoon.

On Day One of the six-day competition, Ghana's sprinters entered for the competition will run their heats in the afternoon with Deborah Acheampong, starting off in the women's 100m.

Also running their heats in the 2pm to 2:45pm schedule in the 100m will be Deborah Acheampong and Hor Halutie.

In the men's races, Edwin Gadayi and Brock Albert Appiah will have their turn later in the evening.

Stars on parade

From the confirmed starting lists, most of Africa's stars who stole the show at African Games have also showed up in Douala
Among them  for the opening day are Cote d'Ivoire's Olympics and World Championships medalist, Maria Dominique Ta Lou, 2023 African Games double gold medalist, Gambia's Gina Miriam Bass Bitaye and members of Liberia's 4×100m relay team for both men and women who won medals at Accra 2023. They are all competing in the individual races.

Hope

Ghana Coach Robert Dwumfuor remains hopeful that his team will safely go through the heats, not just because of the training, but the times the athletes have clocked from the African Games through to their schools events and during the CAA Region Two also staged in Ghana.

"It's been good so far. The times are getting better and we are hopeful it will even get better.

"On the opening day, we are hopeful that all our athletes will go through the semi-finals," Coach Dwumfuor told Graphic Online.