National Athletics championship for May

Accra, March 3, GNA - A national athletics meet has been fixed for May to assist the country select a formidable team for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports told the GNA Sports that the programme is aimed at picking the right athletics to carry Ghana's flag high that will give hope at the quadrennial championship.

The Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi is expected to host the meet that would bring together all Ghanaian athletes to compete for slots in the team that would attempt to win medals at Beijing Games. Mr Amoah said the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) would soon confirm dates for the championship.

The Deputy Minister said selected athletics would be made to prepare adequately for the competition that Ghana yearns to make an impact at the international level.

"It is our desire to adequately prepare Team Ghana in our quest to improve upon our abysmal performance in Athens 2004." Team Ghana returned from the Athens event in 2004 without a single medal.

With Ghana's medal hopefuls, Margaret Simpson and Ignatius Gaisah injured, the competition is expected to draw the best to join Vida Anim plus the victorious relay team to carry the dream through. Mr Amoah said his outfit would raise the required funds to cushion the team and motivate them for the three-week event in China. "We have put in place the right mechanism to raise funds that will motivate the team and push the Nation's dream high."

The last championship was held in 2007 at the Essipon Stadium near Sekondi in the Western Region.