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World Athletics Champs: Ghana’s 200m record holder attributes semi-final miss to lack of endurance
Despite running a season’s best of 20.40s in the ongoing world athletics championships in Oregon, Ghana’s Joseph Paul Amoah missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the 200m.
The national 200m record holder was looking to put behind him the disappointment from the 100m heats and secure a semi-final berth in the 200m race but a fifth-place finish in heat 1 meant he missed out.
Joe Paul attributed his performance to a lack of endurance caused by injuries.
“This is the fastest I’ve run in 200m all season. I feel like I’m getting back to my last year shape at the right time,” he told Joy Sports after the race.
“I think the 200m is not as short as the hundred and you need endurance and stuff like that to be able to cross the line. Looking at the injuries that I’ve faced during the season, there are some training workouts that I wasn’t able to do or finish so it’s like the endurance part is not really there but you still want to push to see how best we can come out with results.”
Joe Paul’s best this season in 200m was 20.52s, coming into the competition. The improvement was great but not remarkable.
Ghana’s quest in sprints has been cut short with failed attempts in 100m and 200m. Next for Joseph Paul Amoah and Ghana’s sprint team is the 4x 100m relay which starts on Friday.
Source: Joy Sports
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
