Commonwealth Games: Three times Ghana’s image has been tarnished in Australia
The athletes claim they are owed $400 per diem, each
Ghana’s participation in yet another international competition has brought nothing but monumental shame.
Read full articleThe theme for Ghana’s participation which was “from Gold Coast to Gold Coast for Gold” has turned into “from Gold Coast to Gold Coast for disgrace” with underwhelming performances from the athletes and a visa fraud scandal.
We bring you three instances where the image of Ghana was tarnished in Australia
Ghana’s Cycling team begs new bicycles
Team Ghana first gained international attention few days after arriving in Australia. A local newspaper reported that Ghana’s cycling team travelled with broken bicycles and a without a coach. The report also stated some Australian citizens donated bicycles and other equipments to Ghana’s cycling team.
The report was however denied by Ghana’s Chef de Mission for the Games, Mohammed Sahnoon
“Let us ignore all the bad press about team Ghana. The cyclists travelled with their cycles from the last edition of the Olympic Games and they are not totally damaged as is being reported”, he explained.
’Journalists deported from Australia
The Australian authorities deported some Ghanaians who travelled to the country with fake and fictitious documents suggesting that they are journalists. The Australian authorities explained that the deported journalists did not possess journalism equipment such as laptops, recorders, mobile phones and money required to cover the games.
It was earlier reported that the number of the deported fake journalists was 50 but the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana in an interview with GhanaWeb TV disclosed that the said number is wrong though he was not ready and willing to give out the official number of deported Ghanaians.
The deportation of the fake journalists has triggered investigations into the scandal with the deputy Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide, Director of the NSA, Robert Sarfo-Mensah and two staff of the NSA becoming casualties.
Athletes threaten to boycott games
As the nation continues to probe the visa fraud scandal, news broke that Ghanaian athletes in Australia for the ongoing Commonwealth Games on Thursday, April 12th threatened to boycott the event if their per diems are not immediately paid.
Seventy-two (72) Ghanaian athletes made the threat. The threat for the boycott was led by one of Ghana’s experienced athletes, Botsyo Nkegbe.
The situation has however been resolved according to the Communications Director of the Ghana Olympics Committee, Charles Osei Assibey.
