Why Ghana Performs so Poorly at the Olympics

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!!!