The 1st National Open Championship for the Ghana Athletics season ended at the Cape Coast stadium on Friday with blistering and bellwether performances from the many athletes who were in attendance.
Over 300 athletes nationwide drawn from schools, clubs, regions and the security services competed in selected athletic events in seeking laurels and consideration into the national athletics team ahead of the Africa Games in March and major international competitions in the year.
Patrons at the Cape Coast Stadium were treated to a super masterstroke and exemplary athletics performances as athletes both in the track and field events contested fiercely to be crowned champions in their respective events.
The one-day event hosted by Ghana Athletics saw a super-finish race in the Women’s 100m finals between Mary Boakye of Ghana Armed Forces and SWAG Female Athlete of the Year nominee Janet Mensah of Sagnation where the latter won in a foto-finish.
Ebenezer Gyimah’s Fosbry flob of 2.12mts in the men’s high jump unseen locally since 2005 was the talkabout of the championship as consistent Sarfo Ansah and improved Edwin Gadayi dashed home blisteringly in the 100mts men and 200mts men respectively.
The GA President, Bawa Fuseini who was thrilled by the various performances indicated that the Men and Women 400m, Women 100m, Men high jump and others gave him hope for the Africa Games.
“The competition has been very successful looking at the performances of the athletes as their season open championship. With two of such competitions, these athletes will be ready to take on Africa during the Africa Games in March”. Bawa Fuseini reiterated.
Officials of the National Sports Authority, leaders in the Cape Coast and Exco members of Ghana Athletics including Vice President Charles Osei Asibey, Treasure Christopher Darko Amankrah, CEO Phillipina Frimpong, Committee members Dr Marc Dzradosi, Sup. Alhassan Bawa and many more.
The next GA event is the National Inter-Schools Athletics Championship in Accra.
Some results :
400m Women
Final
1 Grace Aduntira, Ghana Armed Forces (54.95)
2 Fatao Mariamna, Ghana Immigration Service (57.85)
3 Appiah Sandra, Gbewaa Athletics (58.79)
100m Women
Final
1 Janet Mensah, Gagnation (11.80)
2 Boakye Mary, Ghana Armed Forces (11.88)
3 Boakye Beatrice, Ghana Immigration (12.26)
100m Men
Final
1 Ansah Sarfo, Sagnation (10.55)
2 Shaibu Marizuk, Ghana Armed Forces (10.67)
3 Appiah George, Ghana Armed Forces (10.76)
200m Men
Final
1 Gadayi, Kwabla Edwin, Sagnation, (21.29)
2 Musa Iddrisu, Ghana Armed Forces (21.30)
3 Harrison Nkrumah, Ashanti Region (23.09)
High Jump Women
1 Esther Obenewaa, UEW (1.70)
2 Amoah Abu-Bonsra, Goloe Go Athletics (1.50)
High Jump Men
1 Gyimah Ebenezer, Ghana Armed Forces (2.12)
2 Ocansey Kennedy, Sagnation (2.05)
3 Francis Annum, Better Future Athletics (1.95)
Source: myjoyonline
