The Ghana Athletics Association held its annual delegates Congress at the Conference room, Cape Coast stadium on Friday, 29th December, 2017.

The congress took stock of the GAA’s activities in 2017 including a review of the Audited Accounts and National Circuit Championships, and Ghana’s participation and performance at the IAAF World Championships in London.

The 19-member athletics governing body also made constitutional amendments to the GAA’s constitution in conformity with recent changes in the IAAF’s, world athletics governing body’s, constitution and preview the GAA’s calendar for 2018 which includes the National Circuit Championships, the IAAF World Indoor Championships, Commonwealth Games and underage international competitions, among others.

Among the constitutional amendments made, the Congress created and adapted two new Vice Presidential positions, one of whom shall be a woman while a new position of a Vice Organising Secretary was created.

The congress also agreed and adapted article 6.26 of the IAAF new constitution which states, an elected executive member should be eligible to stand for re-election a maximum of 12 years.

In addition to that, three commissions were created and adapted including the athletes’, coaches’, and women’ commissions.

Delegates representing the 10 regions of Ghana, Ghana Education Service, Security Services Sports Association, Ghana Universities Sports Association, Past Athletes Association of Ghana (PAAG), Athletes Commission, Coaches Commission, Colleges of Education Sports Festival (COESA), Ghana Technical Universities Sports Association, participated in the one day event.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Hon. Robert Sarfo-Mensah commended the GAA for its pro-activeness in sourcing funds for its programs and sending 38 athletes on student-athlete scholarships in the USA.

Hon. Sarfo affirmed his outfit’s plans to resume funding to all sporting disciplines in the country, while looking for employment opportunities for athletes and coaches through the Youth Employment Enterprises program.

He revealed that the NSA is working with the GAA and Ministry of Youth and Sports to resolve the topical issue of the indefinite suspension of Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Martha Bissah- Bissah was suspended by the GAA for bringing the name of the association into disrepute and for gross indiscipline in June 2016.

The GAA Vice President Dr. Silvanus Lamptey who chaired congress, thanked members for being punctual at the meeting and expressed his delight at the frank and open discussions that ensued at the congress.

Meanwhile, the 2018 GAA domestic calendar will begin at the first leg of the National Circuit Championships on Saturday, 27th January at the Sekondi Sports stadium.

Below are some of the decisions by Congress:

Last Friday, the GAA’s annual delegates’ congress ended successfully with 100% attendance and the following major decisions were taken and adapted:

  1. A technical committee to be set up to come out with modalities to help Ghanaian coaches upgrade themselves and to organize more customized GAA local coaching courses in Ghana.

 

  1. A motion was moved for an insurance cover for local athletes, coaches and officials during national championships.

 

  • Three commissions were created and adapted: athletes’, Coaches’, and women’ commissions. The athletes’ and coaches’ associations were repelled and replaced with athletics and coaches commissions. The women commission, all the women, four of them at the congress together with Madam Philippina and Georgina Sowah will make up the commission. They will select commissioner among themselves and other executives to run the affairs of the commission. The congress agreed for them to use the IAAF women commission constitution for a start.

    The congress also created and adapted new positions of two Vice Presidents one of whom shall be a woman.

    v. Congress also agreed and adapted article 6.26 of the IAAF new constitution which is on the number of years an elected executive member should be eligible to stand for re-election. (Maximum of 12 years)

    Some concerns were raised about unregulated private athletics events in Ghana. GAA was urged to try and regulate those private athletics event.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here