Ghana’s Youth Olympic Gold medalist Martha Bissah has expressed disappointment in the Prof. Francis Dodoo led administration of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) for the bad treatment meted out to her.
The 800m runner, who left Ghana on Sunday night to begin a four-year scholarship programme at Norfolk State University in Virginia, US, told the GNA Sports before departure that, she went through a lot when the GAA handed her an indefinite suspension over allegations she claimed were false.
“I’m disappointed in the GAA because when I came back from the Olympics in Nanjing, I thought my career and fame had begun and my name will be known all over. I won a gold medal, which for me was a great achievement that will push me to even do more but my case wasn’t like that.”
“I have suffered a lot and gone through problems. I would say that the gold medal has rather brought me problems than good.’’
The 19 year old denied that, the GAA asked her to present her West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result to enable her to get a scholarship, which was offered her when she won the medal.
She said “they (GAA) claim that I was asked to bring my certificate, but the truth is no one asked me to do so. I can’t remember any of them asking me to present my certificate.
I heard about the scholarship programme whilst in Scotland and I was excited because that was the dream of every athlete due to the training facilities available, but when I came back to Ghana no one told me anything about it or my certificate.”.
“All they said about me were mere fabrications.’’
Bissah expressed gratitude to the former GAA Chairman; Mr. George Lutterodt, for securing her the scholarship, former national athlete Kwaku Nimako and to all her friends and family for the immense support they gave her to advance her career.
Source: GNA