• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana
No Result
View All Result

Tokyo 2020: Ghana’s Olympic dream – our journey, lessons and way forward

Bernard OseibyBernard Osei
August 14, 2021
Reading Time: 5 mins read
ShareShareShareShare

Ghana’s Olympic dreams were a bag of mixed reactions and a box full of lessons for both athletes and the nation at large.

An Olympic competition where we as a country showcased our rich culture, dancing and showing off the colourful pictures of Ghana.

An Olympic campaign where a 20-year-old Samuel Takyi proved his mettle, announcing himself to the world at the biggest stage he has ever had in his boxing career.

A campaign where Ghana’s 4x100m faltered when it mattered most again, a scene we saw in Silesia, Poland.

Out of the 14 athletes that gained qualification to represent the country, only 1 brought home a medal – Samuel Takyi’s bronze in the men’s 52-59 kg featherweight division.

But for many an athlete, it was a disappointing journey while representing the country in Tokyo, Japan.

Though a disappointing run for many representatives of Ghana, it was generally a fair representation of the state of our growth in search of sporting glory.

So, what did we learn from our Tokyo 2020 exploits in Japan?

You prepare the way you want to perform

“We cannot use three weeks to prepare properly for an Olympic game and expect to perform at the highest level like the powerhouses. Some countries and athletes use years to prepare and that reflects in their performance all the time. And we are here, in Ghana, thinking that camping athletes for three weeks without proper exposure will help them beat the best. It does not work like that,” Citi Sports editor, Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo stated.

It cannot be stressed enough the importance of preparation for a competition like the Olympic Games.

Although one must acknowledge the National Sports Authority, Ghana Olympic Committee, and Ministry for Youth and Sports for ensuring these athletes had at least three weeks of intensive camp in order to help them stay in top shape for the games, it is also worthy of note to state that it is woefully inadequate, to say the least.

A country like the United States of America has two Olympic training facilities for Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is without doubt that their athletes will continue to dominate the Olympic Games.

In the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the USA had 121 medals in total, which was 17 medals more than what they accrued in the 2012 London Olympic Games (104), and had 112 medals in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (2008).

These are successes that follow when proper facilities are built and maintained for the use of athletes to prepare adequately ahead of every competition, where athletes will be properly exposed to top Olympians all over the globe.

Preparation also means regulating the feeding and sleeping of athletes in order for athletes to stay in top shape all year round.

It was apparent the level of confidence in the athletes when they had at least some weeks of intensive training.

The Black Bombers were camped in Inawashiro, Japan, and as a result of the intensive training sessions prior to their arrival in Japan and the weeks they had, Samuel Takyi grabbed himself a bronze – the only medal won by the country in the Olympic Games.

You can only imagine what a long period of preparation time would have done for these athletes.

Focusing on sporting events that will win us medals

It is obvious that in Ghana, over the years, boxing and football are the country’s best bets of winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games. And now, athletics showing a lot of promise in winning at least a bronze medal.

Prioritizing the scale and use of resources forms the basis of economics and since Ghana consistently struggles to finance sports well except for the Black Stars, it is imperative to prioritize the sport that has brought a ton of success to Ghana.

Boxing, for instance, deserves its proper due and not the scraps it feeds on from the table of men’s football. The sport check multiple boxes to deserve multiple plates full of whole foods; boxing has a rabid fan base, talent isn’t a problem, has a rich history thanks to the exploits of the likes of Eddy Blay, Ike Quartey, and Azumah Nelson, and most importantly, boxing isn’t a team sport to stretch the strained finances of the sport’s coffers.

For instance, in the history of the Olympic Games, Ghana has won five medals in total with four of them coming through boxing and the other, football.

Takyi joined the illustrious group of Clement Quartey – 1960- Silver, Eddie Blay – 1964- Bronze and Prince Amartey – 1972 – Bronze, as the only men to ever win Ghana an individual Olympic medal.

It goes without saying where our resources should be channeled: BOXING.

However, one can make a case for our Ghanaian sprinters, who have shown so much promise in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

For example, in Jamaica, they focus a lot on sprinting, hence their long dominance in the short sprints. Poland also focuses on-field events like the Hammer Throw, Discus, and Shot Put.

It’s simple, you do not need to send 100 athletes to show your dominance, but your depth of strength is deeply rooted in the performance of your athletes.

Financial remuneration

The financial reward has over the years proven to be a great source of motivation for workers according to research work by psychologists.

The Philippines clinched its first-ever gold medal in Tokyo, making Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz the country’s first Olympic gold medalist.

As a reward for her historic achievement, Diaz will reportedly receive at least 33 million Philippine pesos (around $600,000) from the Philippine Sports Commission as well as the country’s top businessmen. She has also been offered two homes and free flights for life, according to reports.

The United States of America, for instance, pays its athletes equally, regardless of their gender. While other countries dish out large sums of money for athletes who gain a podium finish.

All this goes a long way to motivate these athletes to perform at the highest level. Their payment is not delayed for whatever reason and that helps.

However, the case is not the same in the country, Ghana.

The Director-General of the National Sports Authority, Professor Peter Twumasi has revealed that all 14 athletes, coaches, and officials who represented Ghana at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have received their per diem.

Each athlete received $100 as a daily allowance for participating in the Olympic Games, while officials and coaches received $120 each per day, that’s according to Peter Twumasi.

Also, 20-year-old Samuel Takyi, who secured Bronze after reaching the semi-final, will receive $3,000. The prize packages for reaching a podium finish are $5,000 for gold, $4,000 for silver, and $3,000 for bronze.

For Ghana to achieve bigger and better things, there should be a shift in our focus, in doing so, we shift from the norm. Adopting a radical but practical approach is the best solution to uplift the fallen standards we have brought on ourselves.

I do not think it is an impossible task to focus on building capacity to achieve national success.

The abandoned Borteyman project should be brought back, a project where athletes will get to train on a regular and stay in top form in order to compete at the highest level.

Then, and only then, can Ghana compete!

ShareTweetSendSend
Previous Post

Final-year student of Three Town SHS who injured a teacher must be punished -NAGRAT

Next Post

Senya: NGO supports school with potable water

Related Posts

Sports

#EAAwards: Samuel Takyi wins Sports Personality of the Year

February 26, 2022
Technology

#TeamGhana was a major conversation driver and among the top 5 most used hashtags

February 11, 2022
Boxing

Isaac Dogboe edges Christopher Diaz in Las Vegas bout

November 21, 2021
Sports

Sports Minister hails Ghana’s Tokyo Olympic Team

August 21, 2021
Top Stories

Tokyo 2020: Akufo-Addo rewards Samuel Takyi with $30,000 and a car

August 20, 2021
Sports

Tokyo 2020: Ghana secure 4x100m relay final spot with National Record [VIDEO]

August 5, 2021
Next Post

Senya: NGO supports school with potable water

TOP STORIES

Police inspector interdicted for leaving gun in commercial vehicle

January 29, 2023

Niger eliminates Black Galaxies from CHAN 2022

January 28, 2023

Wassa Agona robbery: Police arrest four suspects

January 28, 2023
Load More
ADVERTISEMENT
Citinewsroom – Comprehensive News in Ghana

CitiNewsroom.com is Ghana's leading news website that delivers high quality innovative, alternative news that challenges the status quo.

Archives

Download App

Download

Download

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Citi TV

© 2021 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Showbiz
  • Coronavirus
  • Infographics
  • Livestream
  • Videos

© 2021 All Rights Reserved Citi Newsroom.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT