Sports News of Wednesday, 1 March 2023

Source: Saminu Abdul Rasheed

Ghana facing mass Athletes exodus with high hopes of future success

Bawa Fuseini Bawa Fuseini

Many Ghanaian Athletes are leaving the shores of the country in search of
greener pastures.

Last year, about seven Ghanaian athletes acquired scholarships to the United States to further their academics and develop their careers.

“They got the scholarships themselves, we only supported some of them
with introductory letters, and they did everything on their own. They are
about six or seven of them that left the shores of this country from
December to January", Ghana Athletics President, Bawa Fuseini told
AsaaseSports

“We’ve been able to open up the process in the US where Ghanaian Athletes
are, in high demand. “This year particularly we didn't play a role in the
athletes’ departure.”

“So it's not as difficult as it used to be for a Ghanaian to get a scholarship in the USA.”

“We sometimes support them with documentation, not all of them got but
the majority of them got it and are now doing well in the US," Ghana Athletics President Bawa Fuseini told AsaaseSports.

University of Ghana duo Saminu Abdul Rasheed and Grace Obour are the
latest to join the foreign-based athletes and after just a month in the US, both
have started hitting the ground running.

Saminu, 21 dropped a Personal Best(PB) of 21.43s in an indoor competition
for Florida Memorial University in Miami last Friday.

Grace Obour now at West Texas College also clocked best personal best in 200m(24.03) and 400m(54.86) respectively.
 

Saminu’s former 4x100m mate at University of Ghana Isaac Dadzie now
holds a new PB in 60m (6.69s) at West Texas College.

Bawa Fuseini hopes this initiative will enhance Ghana’s chances in the
upcoming international competitions.

He said, “We just pray they are able to develop quickly so that we'll be able to use them for the World Championship, next year’s Paris Olympic Games, and Africa games.”