On the shoulders of giants
If you stand on the shoulders of giants, you are able to see far. More importantly, you are able to reach heights, be grand and become a giant in your field, however diminutive you might appear.
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That happens to be the case of the Ghana Weightlifting Association, developing a burgeoning sport in the country, a sport pulling its weight, evidenced by its medal haul so far and its healthy relationship with the media and the corporate world.
Its drawing power was evident last Saturday, given the assembly of the press corps from every media house of note, giving the sport megastar power during the inaugural Indomie Junior and Youth weightlifting championship held at the Sports Hall of the Accra Sports Stadium. Migrants Weightlifting Club of the Ghana Immigration Service winning four gold medals to emerge the best club of the lay-long competition.
That star power was so magnetic it pulled into its presence the Youth and Sports Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, himself the immediate past president of the association whose successor, Ben Nunoo-Mensah, was on hand liaising well with other administrators, the media and executives of sponsors present.
Historically, the sport is fairly new in Ghana, yet it is quickly gaining grounds in the consciousness of Ghanaians, given the frequency of competitions, affiliation with schools and communities, including the security services, while wooing total strangers to the sport.
I have been doing my own version of weightlifting for decades, my preferred weight of note being the might of a pen. Yet, I have become one of the latest converts of weightlifting in the country.
I was impressed by the organisation of the competition, particularly the determination of some of the athletes to prove size was a non-factor, some weighing far less than the weights they lifted, with proper techniques and moral support from their coaches and their fans, to applause by most spectators.
Also, the level of fanfare, the secure environment and the enthusiasm of coaches, fair officiating of referees and veto-wielding jurists deserve mention.
I was impressed , too, by the balance of power in the sport not only vested in the referees but a three-member panel of jurists, some of whom were senior national athletes, who had occasion to confer with, then overturn some of the decisions of the three referees, some of whom were senior national athletes.
Also, I noted the courtesy in the interaction between the announcers, the weight-movers, the referees and the jurists, to whom some coaches protested, leading to a few conferences between the jurists and the referees, all in a friendly, courteous and professional manner.
They were consistent with the training and discipline of the security forces whose teams contested for honours.
More importantly, the medal haul of the sport so far on the international stage has endeared it to Ghanaians, breeding respect for and recognition of the sport, official sanction by and the backing of the top brass of the sporting community.
That momentum is helped by the strong backing of the Sports Minister who has pledged to help make the sport household, not only in the country but beyond her borders, tipping it to become the first sport to earn gold for the nation at the Olympic Games in future.
For the records, Ghana has earned four medals at the Olympics, thanks to amateur boxers light-welterweight Clement ‘Ike’ Quartey (silver at the 1960 Rome Olympics), light-welterweight Eddie Blay (bronze at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics) and middleweight Prince Amartey (bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Also, the Black Meteors won bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics –- Africa’s first medal in football.
The Youth and Sports Minister has promised the assistance of the ministry to help the sport achieve its goals. One such goal is qualification for the Rio Olympics in Brazil later this year.
In line with that goal, seven athletes have been selected, to be accompanied by three officials, to represent Ghana at the African Weightlifting Olympic qualifiers scheduled to take place in the Camerounian city of Yaounde on May 6, 2016.
Given the strong foundation noted by the association’s president, Mr Nunoo-Mensah, supported by corporate partners such as Indomie Instant Noodles, T. T. Brothers Company, Dr Malt, Promasidor, Vaettel and others, weightlifting is a giant in the making, making inroads into the hearts of many sports lovers, and winning laurels for Mother Ghana.