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GAA Secretary General,Bawah Fuseini addressing yesterday's launch, he is flanked by NSA Deputy Director, Majeed Bawa (left) and Kobla Dzotsi of JBF.
GAA Secretary General,Bawah Fuseini addressing yesterday's launch, he is flanked by NSA Deputy Director, Majeed Bawa (left) and Kobla Dzotsi of JBF.

ECOWAS U-20 Athletics Championship - Cape Coast 2018 launched

The General Secretary of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), Bawah Fuseini has described the forthcoming Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) U-20 Athletics Championship slated for June 22-24 at the Cape Coast Stadium as an opportunity to establish the country as a powerhouse among African nations in athletics.

The GAA scribe is hopeful that the Championship will present the country with the opportunity to unearth and groom the next generation of world-class Ghanaian athletes in a quality contest against the best from ECOWAS.

According to Mr Fuseini, Ghana won the right to host the showpiece event reserved for athletes aged 20 years or below from the 16 ECOWAS countries at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) annual congress in Rabat, Morocco last year.

He said, so far 11 countries have confirmed their participation and aside hosts Ghana, all the teams are mandated to present a contingent of 40 comprising - 30 athletes and 10 officials each for the event sponsored by Just Because Fitness (JBF).
 
"It all started far away in Rabat, Morocco last year when I represented Ghana at the CAA annual congress when Ghana was given the opportunity to host the championships," Mr Fuseini said at the launch of the Championship today in Accra.

"The GAA needs such high profile international competitions in order to establish itself among athletics nations in Africa and indeed this will be the beginning and cornerstone of future and larger championships to be hosted by Ghana."

He also expressed gratitude to the CAA, JBF and the various ECOWAS embassies for their immense support in organising the Championship.
 
Kobla Dzotsi, the Operations Director of JBF said his outfit's sponsorship of the ECOWAS U-20 Athletics Championship forms part of an ongoing passion project to see an upturn in the fortunes of Ghana athletics.
 
He said JBF has in the past sponsored the GAA by financing the local athletic circuit events and supported athletes including sprint sensation Hor Halutie, Rafiatu Nuhu and long-distance runner Kassim Mohammed.
 
Mr Dzotsi said the theme for the Championship; "ECOWAS Unity Through Sports" would complement the economic efforts of ECOWAS to improve the lives of its member citizens by using sports as a unifying factor.
 
The Deputy Director-General, Administration of the National Sports Authority, Majeed Bawa pledged government's continuous support to the development of athletics which has seen a renaissance locally.
 
He referred to the exploits of the likes of Hor Halutie who emerged the only African in the finals of the 100 metres at the just-ended 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

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