Ghana Athletics Association wants Olympics-style training centre

Dr. Marc Dzradosi, an Executive Member of the Ghana Athletics association (GAA), has stressed the need for the nation to mobilize resources for the construction of an Olympic-style training centre.

The facility, he said, was necessary to change the face of sports in general to attract the needed sponsorship and investment.

“We have the talents and pool of athletics potentials. What I believe must be done is to invest in infrastructural development and capacity-building to enable us to compete keenly at the global stage”, he told the GNA Sports.
This was on the sidelines of the Open Track and Field Championship, organized under the auspices of the GAA at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi, over the weekend.

“An ultra-modern facility, equipped with state-of-the-art training aids, physiotherapists, qualified medical doctors, specialist coaches, nutritionists and related sports technocrats is what we need as a nation to propel us to higher grounds”, Dr. Dzradosi, who is also National Treasurer of the GAA, noted.

The Championship formed part of preparations by the Association to keep Ghanaian athletes, drawn from the security services, schools and other professional athletes in shape for impending international competitions.

This includes the All Africa Games, slated for the latter part of this year.
Touching on the general performance of Ghanaian athletes abroad, particularly in the United States, the GAA Executive Member described as encouraging the manner in which the athletes had surged forward in their career development.

“We have since the beginning of this year alone set eight new national records and still counting”, he stated.

Dr. Dzradosi was also satisfied with the performance of local athletes, citing how 14 of those athletes qualified for last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Source: GNA