Bomber cries for Glasgow 2014 medal bonus
Eight years after flying the flag of Ghana high at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games by winning a bronze medal, the state is yet to reward Abdul Wahid Omar with the $3,000 bonus promised him before the games.
Omar, who won the bronze in the light-welterweight division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, also won bronze in the flyweight division at the recent Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
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In an exclusive interview with the Graphic Sports on the sidelines of the Black Bombers’ visit to the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in Accra last week, Omar said the failure of the state to reward him for that feat affected him so much that he almost quit the sport.
The visit by the Birmingham 2022 medalist: Omar, Joseph Commey (silver) and Abraham Mensah (silver), and Black Bombers trainer, Kwasi Ofori Asare, was to pay glowing tribute to the GCGL for its continuous support for the team.
“Before we left for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, athletes were promised that a special bonus package of $3000, $5,000 and $7,000 would be given to those who win bronze, silver and gold respectively, so we should go all out to fly the flag of Ghana high at the games. It was the Sports Ministry which gave the promise before we flew to Glasgow eight years ago, so we were highly motivated,” he recalled.
“However, after the games we made various visits to the Ministry hoping to get that bonus, but till now the state is yet to give me the $3,000 as promised,” the two-time Commonwealth bronze medalist lamented.
Omar said since much went into their preparation for such games, he expected the state to fulfil its promise to spur him on to greater heights.
“It was the intervention of my trainer that stopped me from quitting boxing, making it possible for me to focus on my training to win another bronze medal for the state at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games,” he revealed.
Omar, who is eyeing another medal at the 2023 African Games in Ghana, said he was hopeful that in spite of the long delay, the state would pay him his $3,000 bonus to motivate him to win more medals for Ghana and also encourage other potential medalists to work harder.
Pix- Flashback: Abdul Wahid Omar (right) and other medalists displaying their medals at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games
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