Potential Ski Racers Held Up By Immigration

An initiative by Ghanaian ski racer Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong and combined Olympic Gold Medalist, Ted Ligety, to bring two young Ghanaians to Italy to learn to ski and undergo a training programme up to competition standard has so far been thwarted by Italian immigration authorities.

Kwame, who learned to ski less than five years ago after first seeing snow at the Xscape indoor snow centre in Milton Keynes where he was employed, and Ted, travelled to Ghana last June to select the two lucky potential ski racers. More than 100 young people tried for places in tests including grass skiing on a hillside and staying as long as possible in an industrial freezer.

19-year-old Emmanuel Nii Yemo Yemofio from La in the suburb of Accra, Ghana's capital and 21 year old Rosina Amenebede from Kanjage Luisa in the country's Upper East Region were chosen.

Rosina is already a national athlete in Ghana's summer team and holder of the national long jump, hurdles and 100m titles. She has competed in the Commonwealth Games and African championship.

“My dream is to become the first Ghanaian female skier, and one of the best in the world.” She said.

Kwame, who trains in Val di Fiemme, Italy, has been competing for Ghana at the recent Alpine Ski World Championships in Sweden and aims to get Ghana's first team together for the 2012 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Kwame said that he hopes the imigration problems will be sorted out soon. He says that his dream is for an artificial surface slope to be created in Ghana with free entry for children. He believes there's no reason why A Ghanaian could not become a world champion, in terms of personal qualities.