Lutterodt dares GAA

The former Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) chairman, George Lutterodt, says in spite of the vitriolic attacks on his personality and the ugly noises from the GAA, he still stands by his criticism of the GAA leadership for failing to win gold in any major competition after six years at the helm of affairs.

According to him, the leadership of the GAA had not displayed the requisite qualities that can transform our athletes into winsome side in major tournaments since they took over.

“, The fact still remains that all is not well with the sport in terms of management and leadership”, he castigated during an interview with Graphic Sports yesterday.

 “If a so-called sponsor, who is supposed to be a neutral arbiter in a dispute is being used as a pawn to attack any form of constructive and genuine criticism of a national issue, then there is a problem’, Lutterodt noted.

Explaining, Lutterodt said, one Madam Eleazar is being used to attack his personality after he criticised the GAA for failing to fly the flag of Ghana very high during the All African Games.

“They seem not to appreciate the problem bedeviling the sport” he noted.

 “I never commented on the performance of the athletes. What I am talking about is the requisite leadership which can bring Ghana gold after six years, not the athletes abilities and capacities. I am not talking about the bronze medals and silver medals”, the former GAA boss explained.

Explaining further, he said “a nation can win more medals in terms of silver and bronze but the country which wins gold is highly regarded and rated”.

He asserted that during his tenure, he won more than three gold medals at the All Africa Games (AAG) with Ghanaian athletes under the same conditions in the country which Professor Dodoo had always been complaining about.

“I have nothing personal against Professor Dodoo or his administration, but I am worried about the meek successes chalked by Ghana Athletics in recent times”. he said

Mr Lutterodt called for a concerted effort and a new look towards athletics in the country while all eschew bickering for the benefit of the sport.