Prof. Dodoo must reach out to opponents — Lutterodt

A former chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), George Haldane Lutterodt, has advised the re-elected president of the GAA, Professor Francis Dodoo, to reach out to defeated candidates and unite the athletics front for the growth and development of Ghana athletics.

He dismissed comments by Professor Dodoo that he left last weekend’s congress in haste after tasting defeat, saying he was one of the few people to have left the event late.

“I sat down for a while after the election results were declared and exchanged pleasantries with the delegates and contestants before departing the premises,” he told the Daily Graphic yesterday in his first interview since losing to the GOC president.

He warned that if Professor Dodoo failed to reach out to losing candidates as he did in the past, it might spell doom for the sport, which he said, was already in the doldrums.

According to Mr Lutterodt, who has vowed to continue supporting athletics, an American athletics coach, Dr Randy Randolph, would be in the country on November 28 to train and groom young talents in the discipline for the national cause.

“He will also provide athletics equipment and kit to athletes and educate them on the rudiments of the sport,” Mr Lutterodt added.

Reflecting on last weekend’s election, Mr Lutterodt said the delegates lost an opportunity for a massive capital injection into the sport.

He noted that as a businessman, he had the wherewithal to motivate other businessmen from corporate institutions, here and outside, to finance the discipline.

Mr Lutterodt wished Pofessor Dodoo well and pledged to support him whenever his services were needed.