President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah has revealed that towards a comprehensive improvement of the various arms of the Ghana Olympic family, *Support For National Federations (NF’s) and Athletes* continues to receive timely boosts.
On Wednesday, some outstanding Athletes received their Olympic Scholarship at the Olympic House in Accra.
10 National Team Athletes have been awarded *IOC Scholarships* which will see each of them receiving an amount of $750.00 every month from January 2023 to the end of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Steps are also far advanced to secure ANOCA Scholarship for additional 5 athletes from Ghana.
According to Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah, due to delays in the submission of various reports to the IOC, requests for funding, support, grant and scholarships for our various Athletes and Federations delays, but he confidently reported at the Congress that the GOC has secured support and grants for some National Federations and Athletes.
“This money is not for your personal use or for you to buy the latest phones and dresses. It is meant to support your training and activities towards your qualification to the Olympic Games in Paris come 2024.
“As you have already been told, at the end of every quarter, your progress and expenditure would be evaluated and whoever is not able to make accounts of the money given would be withdrawn from the scholarship,” he said.
The Ghanaian athletes who received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Funding and Scholarships include Swimmers, Abeiku Jackson and Adjoa Forson, Boxers Abraham Mensah, Wahid Omar and Joseph Commey.
Others are Judoka Rahid Alhassan, Weightlifting: Sandra Owusu and Winifred Ntumi.
Top Athletes, Deborah Acquah and Benjamin Azamati will also benefit the 750 dollars a month from the IOC funding and scholarship.
GOC Administrative Manager, Miss Farida Iddris revealed the criteria in selecting the athletes as a consistent national athlete, good behavior and exhibit performance among others.
She advised them to use the funds judiciously and as expected by the GOC and IOC.
By Sammy Heywood Okine