The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) Ben Nunoo Mensah has said the effects of the socio-economic disruption of the coronavirus pandemic on Ghanaian athletes may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
According to him, athletes would now have more time to prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which has been rescheduled for next year.
The Olympic Games were postponed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to the coronavirus pandemic which has severely affected domestic and international businesses, disrupted economies and global trade and also affected human lives.
There are about 5million confirmed cases worldwide resulting in 324,000 deaths. However, 1.71million people have recovered.
Only four Ghanaian athletes have qualified for the games so far. Boxers Samuel Takyie and Sulemana Tetteh, sprinter Joseph Paul Amoah and triple jumper Nadia Eke have all qualified. Other athletes yet to secure a spot at the Games were set to compete in qualifying tournaments in order to book a spot.
Despite the havoc created by the pandemic, Mensah believes that Ghanaian athletes should look at the silver lining. He stated that the postponement of the Olympic Games has given athletes ample time to prepare well for the Games as well as compete in qualifying tournaments.
Speaking via video conferencing on Accra’s Happy FM to discuss the effects of the Covid-19 on Ghana’s Sports industry, he said, “It’s kind of a blessing to our Ghanaian athletes in terms of preparation. It may also be a curse if we wait till the last minute before we begin preparation too.
“Athletes preparing for the Games were supposed to perform at their peak by the time the Games were in session per their training regimes. Athletes may be affected as a result but they can re-adjust and prepare ahead of the Games,” he added.
The International Olympic Committee has fixed the new dates for the Olympic Games for July 23, 2021 to August 8, 2021. It has also set aside $800m to help with the “severe” financial impact caused by the postponement of the Games. Organizers will get $650m while $150m is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and National Olympic Committees with cash flow problems.