Atlethics: Zakari warns of more defections
Former national sprint king, Aziz Zakari, has cautioned the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) to sit up or risk losing more Ghana talents to other countries.
Advertisement
US-based Zakari, who is unsure if he will continue to run or retire, says his caution stems from the growing lack of motivation among top Ghana athletes abroad over the lack of interest in their welfare by the GAA.
In recent times, high-profile Ghanaian long jumper, Ignisious Gaisah, switched nationality to compete for the Netherlands while heptathlete Margaret Simpson is also reported to have switched nationality to compete for her base, Mauritius.
It is this uneasy feeling that has pushed Zakaria, three times African gold medalist and twice a bronze medalist at the IAAF World Final, to express his apprehension about the future direction of the the sport.
Speaking to the Graphic Sports on telephone, Zakari, who for a decade strongly represented Ghana in international competitions, said: "At the moment, the athletes are not happy due to the lack of interest or concern in what they do. Most of them are asking if they chose the right sport at all. The frustrations are just too much and it looks like the Athletics Association is doing very little to improver the situation.
"Nobody is calling the athletes to find out what is happening to them and how they are training. Don't get me wrong, it is not about money. It is never always about money, but the little things people take for granted.
"It is that lack of interest and concern in what we do that has pushed many athletes to defect and compete for other countries. Don't be surprised if more follow in the steps of Ignisious Gaisah who now competes for the Netherlands and Margaret Simpson who has opted to compete for Mauritius," Zakari said.
"At the moment, there is very little going on so far as athletics is concerned. We are so disappointed it looks like the sport is taking a serious dip and no one is concerned. Being an athlete is no longer attractive in Ghana anymore."
Asked if he was preparing to compete for Ghana at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the veteran sprinter said even though he had posted good times, he was undecided about Glasgow.
“At the moment, I can’t say yes or no. After what happened during the 2012 Olympics, I have to take a lot of things into consideration. Besides, I’m being labelled as being past my prime.
An official at the GAA rejected Zakari’s claims of neglect by the sport’s governing body.
"We don't think we have abandoned any Ghanaian athlete as is being peddled around. We are as worried about the current state of the sport as everyone else and will do everything within our means to turn it around."
