AM Sports || WAC: It was a difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from competition - GA Pres.
The Sports segment of AM Show discusses the latest sports news, scores, highlights, and interviews with athletes and coaches.
#AMShow
#AMSports
#MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-news/
Subscribe for more videos just like this: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd1DEecCRlxaa0-hvPACCw/
Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy997fm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joy997FM
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3J2l57
Click this for more news:
https://www.myjoyonline.com/
#AMShow
#AMSports
#MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-news/
Subscribe for more videos just like this: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChd1DEecCRlxaa0-hvPACCw/
Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy997fm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joy997FM
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3J2l57
Click this for more news:
https://www.myjoyonline.com/
Transcript
00:00 Good morning, let's do sports now on the AM show. I am Mufti of Nabilana Athletics,
00:04 Baaf Hussaini and he says that it was a difficult but necessary decision to
00:10 withdraw the team from the competition.
00:13 Very tough to take, but it was very tough and very necessary for the sake of the athletes' health.
00:20 Now the World Athletics is safeguarding the interests and welfare of athletes.
00:24 So we don't want to aggravate the situation. We all saw what happened.
00:30 Joe Paul even came out from the cave leading, no less, an athlete like Degraff of Canada.
00:37 Until the injuries set in and we were devastated.
00:43 But we were also hoping that we could do something before Friday.
00:50 So we took the necessary steps by taking them to a medical centre for real medical tests and examinations.
00:58 When the results came out, it was not too good.
01:03 And we didn't want to risk the career of the athletes.
01:06 We know we have the competition coming up next year, the African Games and the Olympic Games in Paris.
01:13 And we need these athletes at that time.
01:15 So we took that painful decision when necessary to withdraw them, to let them start treatment immediately.
01:23 And let me use this opportunity to thank the Honorable Minister of Refined Sports,
01:28 Honorable Receive for prompt action, taking immediate action,
01:34 in seeing to it that these athletes get the needed financial support to commence treatment immediately.
01:41 I am an athlete, I have been an athlete for the past 30 years.
01:46 This is my first time seeing a minister coming now so boldly and so quickly to address such a situation.
01:55 We can only say, Honorable Minister, we are so grateful.
01:58 And on behalf of Ghana Athletics and on my behalf, we thank you.
02:03 We thank you, Deputy.
02:05 And to thank the President of the Republic for coming to the aid of these athletes.
02:11 For giving them $8,000 to start treatment.
02:15 And again, not only that, they should go and treat themselves with any additional expenses.
02:23 They can submit their receipts for refunds.
02:27 I mean, I'm short of words.
02:30 The athletes are so grateful to the Honorable Minister and the ministers.
02:35 Let me tell Ghanaians that since Honorable Minister came to the office, his support for Ghana Athletics has no end.
02:45 His support for Ghana Athletics is very much appreciated.
02:50 Now, let's hear from the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Yvanne Mbubi Osei, who is with the team.
03:00 But we understand he's flying back to Ghana today because of the superdelegates' congress that will happen this weekend.
03:07 He said that the ministry decided to support the athletes so that they can take care of their medical bills.
03:12 I believe if they had gotten the opportunity to compete, they would have qualified for the finals or the semifinals.
03:24 So it's sad news that has hit Ghana.
03:29 So on our part, I have had some discussions with my minister, my boss, whom I am representing,
03:38 and that the ministry, on behalf of the government, is going to support them to go through treatment.
03:46 I'm told they will be leaving back to the states.
03:49 Both of them, they live in the states and they are the students who are running for Ghana.
03:55 Any time they go for competition, they hold Ghana's flag high.
04:03 So it's very sad news for us.
04:07 And I have encouraged them to put this one behind them.
04:13 At least they have an opportunity to come next year to compete for qualification to Paris 2024.
04:24 Thank God, Accra Games athletes are going to be qualified to Paris 2024, the Olympics Games in Paris.
04:34 So the ministry, on behalf of the government, has supported them with $8,000.
04:40 Both of them, to go back, to go through treatment quickly in the states,
04:45 so that they can match the fit to participate in the Accra Games.
04:54 And this year's World Athletics Championships is a competition that has been filled with many storylines.
05:04 One of such storylines is Nia Ali, the wife of Andre Di Grassi.
05:08 Nia Ali has spoken about how after giving birth, she's become extremely fast when it comes to racing.
05:17 Her husband, Di Grassi, a specialist in the 200 metres, a former Olympic champion,
05:22 says that he's been training with his wife and that's why she's been able to improve on her speed.
05:28 He also asked how they are able to combine family, that is taking care of their kids,
05:34 and still chasing their careers of being some of the best athletes in the world.
05:40 I mean, I think we just do a good job of supporting each other.
05:43 We train together, so we push one another.
05:46 So, I mean, that's what it's all about.
05:49 I tell her all the time, go out there and give your best.
05:53 That's how it matters to her.
05:56 It's like, you know, USA is making the team and then when you come to the championship,
05:59 you bring your A-game.
06:01 So, she does a good job of that, of not letting the pressure get to your head
06:05 and just going out there and having fun.
06:07 In 2019, I saw her win the title and then in 2022, she fell.
06:11 And then she's come back stronger.
06:13 She's running her fastest times at her oldest.
06:16 I mean, how do you explain that?
06:18 I mean, she's just strong.
06:19 She's mentally strong.
06:21 This year, she's physically a lot more fit than previous years.
06:25 Her training has been going well.
06:27 Of course, you don't get injured or anything like that.
06:29 The training is just going well.
06:31 There's a lot of confidence in her.
06:33 She's just been doing her thing.
06:34 I feel like she has a great shot of returning to her medal.
06:37 I'm the best.
06:38 And for yourself, you're the Olympic champion.
06:43 In Oregon, it didn't exactly go according to plan.
06:46 But how are you feeling this year?
06:48 Yeah, I'm feeling better.
06:49 I'm coming back from my injury.
06:51 So, for me, it's just taking it one day at a time, one round at a time.
06:54 I know I'm going to have to bring my best tomorrow.
06:58 So, I'm going to go out there and try to just leave it all out there
07:00 and try to qualify for the finals
07:02 and give it all I've got after that.
07:05 And ultimately, for you, at this point in your career, you've won quite a lot.
07:11 When it gets to this point in your career, what's always going through your mind?
07:14 Are you thinking about what's next or are you just taking it one day at a time?
07:18 Yeah, for me, it's always a matter of what's next.
07:21 What are my goals?
07:23 I want to accomplish a lot more in the 100 meters.
07:26 200 meters, I reached my goal of winning the Olympics, breaking the national record.
07:30 For me, my goal now is to get to the 100 meters, get past the 100 meters so I can reach it.
07:36 The action will continue today in Budapest, especially in the women's 200 meters,
07:41 where world champion Shakari Richardson is coming up against Sharika Jackson again.
07:47 And also, in favour of Philly, Jose Marie Thalhu is also in there in the semifinal of the World Athletics Championships.
07:56 And what it means is that the first three automatic qualifiers make it to the finals.
08:01 So, Thalhu, Sharika Jackson, Shakari Richardson, in favour of Philly,
08:07 are all in there seeking to qualify to the final of the World Athletics Championships 200 meters for women.
08:14 Let's wrap up with some football stories where Vice President of the Ghana Football Association,
08:19 Mac Ardo, says that the vision of the footballing governing bodies is to ensure that Ghana is one of the topmost countries when it comes to football in the continent.
08:31 What should Ghanaians expect in the next four years?
08:33 We can only go higher from a standpoint that we want our national teams to be strong.
08:39 We want to be a powerhouse in Africa and the world.
08:42 And so a lot of resources will go into developing our coaches and developing our teams to that level.
08:46 Our local league still needs a lot of help in terms of making a product that people can go and watch.
08:53 Like we used to, our referees have to strengthen their capability as well so that the games are officially fair and clean in a professional way.
09:04 One of the efforts is to continue engagement with government for government support because we can't do it all.
09:09 There's a tremendous amount of resources that we require at these levels.
09:13 Especially we want our national teams to be top in the world.
09:16 We have to put a lot of resources at our levels like other countries are doing.
09:20 And that's the result that you see in Senegal and Morocco and all these places because they put in a lot of resources.
09:26 And if we don't do it, trust me, we'll be sitting here one day and you'll see countries like Tanzania and all these people just wasting buyers because we have not invested in those areas.
09:37 This is our wrap up sports here on the AM show with me Mufti Awunabila Abla.
09:46 Head on to myjoyonline.com and read some more sports stories. The show continues right after this.
09:51 [Outro Music]