Ghana ends Paris 2024 Olympics without a medal

Ghana’s journey at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games ended in disappointment, with the nation failing to secure any medals, marking a setback compared to their achievement in the Tokyo 2020 Games.

In Tokyo, Ghana had celebrated its first Olympic medal in nearly three decades, thanks to boxer Samuel Takyi, who won a bronze medal.

However, the Paris Games brought no such success, leaving many Ghanaians frustrated and calling for urgent changes in the country’s approach to sports development.

Ghana sent a delegation of eight athletes to Paris, competing in track and field and swimming events. The team included the men’s 4x100m relay squad—Joseph Paul Amoah, Ibrahim Fuseini, Benjamin Azamati, and Isaac Botsio—along with sprinter Abdul Rasheed Saminu, high jumper Rose Yeboah, and swimmers Joselle Mensah and Harry Stacey.

The campaign began with swimming, where Harry Stacey competed in the men’s 100m freestyle but failed to progress beyond the heats. Joselle Mensah also struggled in the women’s 50m freestyle, finishing fourth in her heat and missing out on qualification. With both swimmers falling short, the focus shifted to track and field, where hopes were high for better results.

However, the disappointment continued. Rose Yeboah, making her Olympic debut in the high jump, was unable to advance past the preliminary round. This was a significant letdown for Ghana, as Yeboah had been seen as a potential medal contender based on her promising performances leading up to the Games.

The track events offered a glimmer of hope, particularly with sprinters Benjamin Azamati and Abdul Rasheed Saminu making it to the semi-finals in their respective events. Despite their best efforts, both fell short, with Azamati finishing ninth and Saminu seventh in their heats, failing to qualify for the finals.

The final opportunity for Ghana to salvage their campaign rested on the men’s 4x100m relay team. The team, which included Amoah, Fuseini, Azamati, and Saminu, was expected to put up a strong performance.

However, in a crushing blow, they were disqualified for exchanging the baton outside the designated zone, mirroring the disqualification that had occurred in Tokyo three years earlier. The error cost them a chance to compete for a medal, ending Ghana’s hopes in Paris.

The underwhelming performance in Paris has sparked a wave of criticism and reflection within the Ghanaian sports community. Charles Osei Asibey, Vice President of Ghana Athletics, acknowledged the poor results, attributing them to inadequate investment in sports.

“I must confess it [poor performances in Paris] is the result of what we have invested,” Asibey said to Citi FM. “I feel that if we had done more, we would have come better. I have always said that preparation should have started four years ago. As a federation, we did our best and the results we saw are the investments we made as a country.”

The frustration among Ghanaians is palpable, with many calling for a comprehensive review of the country’s sports programs. For a nation that prides itself on its sporting heritage, the lack of medals in Paris is a stark reminder of the need for more robust investment and better planning.

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