Okay…….. so the Olympics is coming up ad our proud country
Ghana is a participant! Wooo hooo!!! Get out your pom poms every body!! Give me
a G! Give me an H! Give me a…………… where’d everybody go?? L Guess it’s because
everyone is aware of the sad but true fact that Ghana our beloved country is
very likely……. To blast i.e. (not do too well) at the Olympics.
Why is this though? I
believe that it is because of the poor recognition given to sports by the government.
The only sport given SERIOUS attention is …….. wait for it…………. football
*gasp!*. I have heard of instances where Ghana has had to forfeit certain
international competitions because the government says it does not have enough
money. (A certain individual whose surname rhymes with Lome comes to mind).
Only those who are REALLY good are given attention and those who aren’t that
good, but would be, with a little coaching are neglected.
I don’t think the reason for our poor performance is the
fault of the athletes, but rather, the whole organization and attitude towards
the Olympics.
I want Ghanaians to understand what we’re up against. Many
of the sportsmen and women who compete in the Olympics have been training from
a very young age, and for many, that is virtually all they do. Some people even
start as early as 2 years. In Ghana, aside from football of course, many of the
sports are seen as hobbies and not given anywhere near as much attention as
they deserve. So compare our situation to that of some of the others and you
get a vast difference in performance.
Yesterday, a friend suggested that it would help if we had
schools dedicated to sports as in, they learn science, math etc like any normal
school, but special focus is given to sports. Everyone must be given the chance
to engage in sports so we are able to spot those who are potentially good and
train them. even Tyson Gay, one of the few men who have been able to beat Usain
Bolt in a race, started of slow at first.
I’m not sure about thcurrent state of the The Ghana Olympic
committee office but the last time I passed by there, it wasn’t a very pleasant
sight. That is all I will say on the Ghana Olympic Committee. I don’t know too
much about what goes on there, I don’t think they are being too effective, but
then again I could be wrong because I admit that I am not speaking from a very
informed point of view. They may be facing certain challenges beyond their
control that we don’t know about, but I think they could and should be doing a
better job.
Our poor performance each year at the Olympics is basically
an illustration of reaping what we sow. if we see sports simply as a hobby and
treat it as such and we go and compete with people who have dedicated
themselves from a young age to strive for excellence and are backed solidly by
the people and the government of their respective countries, really, what do we
expect to happen?
Unless there’s some form of drastic change, I don’t think
there will be any improvement anytime soon. I believe we have good and potentially good athletes (probably
more potentially good, who should be given proper training to be better) and
given the proper training, a change in attitude and a whole lot more support,
I’m sure Ghana would excel but until then,
in my humble opinion, Ghana will blast and will continue to blast.
Another suggestion; a
drastic change in attitude. I just read an article on myjoyonline “It’s all
over for Ghana” , the attitude of whoever wrote is was so NEGATIVE it was just
saddening. I’m all for being real and stating the facts, but I feel that if
you’re going to criticize our performance, the least you could do is give at
least some form of suggestion as to how it can be made better. Imagine any of
the athletes who competed reading it, how the heck are they supposed to be
motivated next time they compete. If that say “the people don’t believe in us
so we just won’t bother next time.” It’s like telling someone “ you’re a fool,
you’re such a fool, seriously, you’re a fool” let’s assume the person is a
fool, whoever is speaking would be stating facts, but not really doing much to
help the situation. Investigate further into why the person is a fool and see
how you can help.
The performance was actually poor, but I’m not blaming the
athletes, I think it’s an issue that the government and whoever is in charge of
sports and the nation as a whole need to address. Vida Anim is an amazing
athlete, arguably one of the best on the continent. At continental games, she
shines, but when it comes to worldwide events, not so much.
By all means, we should give the Vida Anim’s and the rest
the support, but we should also look into training the next generation. Let
them start from a young age and they should be encouraged every step of the
way. We should start looking at more sports and not just focus on the popular
ones like athletics because the competition in those fields in a whole lot
higher than in other fields.
In my opinion, the issue is not talent, but attitude and
dedication. Once that is sorted out, I believe everything will fall in place.
Winning medals is an extremely hard feat, but the fact is, it’s not impossible.
We are up against athletes who live, eat and breathe sports and have the solid
support of their respective countries. Until our attitude towards sports
(football is not included) changes drastically, the only thing we will continue
to get from the Olympics will be the experience (and perhaps a medal or two
here and there).
I’m not trying to be pessimistic here, I’m saddened and
frustrated by our performance and I’m merely stating what I feel the problem is
and giving suggestions for improvement. I love my country as much as anyone and
I’m sick of seeing us go to the Olympics and come back medal-less. I want to
see us march into the Olympics with a smile on my face and not a shake of my
head. I want to see Ghana excel but until something drastic is done, it’s not
likely there will be any change in our poor Olympic record.
Change your attitudes and give more support to sports, we
can do it!!!
