Edwin Kwabla Gadayi, a silver medalist at the 2023 African Games for Ghana’s 4x100m quartet, and an athlete who was in line to feature at the Olympic Games until his exclusion from the team, has expressed his resentment on being left out.
Gadayi ran the first leg for Ghana’s silver -winning 4x100m quartet at the African Games, marginally losing out to Nigeria after running in a time of 38.42s, as compared to Nigeria’s 38.41s.
The former University of Cape Coast man also ran the third leg for team Ghana at the African Senior Championship last month, en route to the team’s 38.46s gold medal finish.
Despite being an integral part of the quartet, and initially named as part of the Olympic team, Gadayi was dropped three days to team Ghana flying out to France to commence preparations, as a change in the IAAF (athletics governing body) rules prevented him from competing.
The amendment of the rule meant 5 athletes —as compared to the initial 6 — were to represent a relay team, with four running the course of the 4x100m event, while the other serves as a backup to the athletes.
Although a sixth athlete may be included in a team, the sixth athlete receives limited accreditation as compared to the others, but can be allowed to access training facilities and the Games Village.
The news of his omission did not sit too well with the Sagnation athlete, who was in mourning due to the demise of his father at the time the news broke, which left him gutted and added to his compounding misery.
I felt really sad to hear it, because I worked very hard for it. But in sports, anything can happen, he told Univers Sports.
It wasn’t because of me being dropped from the team, but because of death of my father, he added”
Gadayi has featured in two of Ghana’s four 4x100m final relay events in 2024, of which two have resulted in podium finishes. Irrespective of the outcome of missing out on his maiden Olympics, Kwabla aims to put the setback aside and roll on.
I’ll just rest for now then start my off season soon.
The 23-year-old ran a season’s best finish of 10.20s to advance to the final of the CAA Regional II Championships, which he emerged victorious.
The exclusion of the 100m sprinter means team Ghana now has 8 contingents at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with team leader Joseph Paul Amoah, Benjamin Azamati, Rasheed Abdul Saminu, Isaac Botsio, and Ibrahim Fuseini, representing Ghana on the tracks, while Rose Amoniwaa Yeboah is the country’s sole representative in the women’s high jump.
Swimming sensations Joselle Mensah and Harry Stacey make up the team, with Joseph Paul Amoah and Rose Yeboah expected to bear Ghana’s flag at the opening ceremony of the games across river Seine on July 26, 2024.
–
Story by: Andrews Sefa Bamfo| univers.ug.edu.gh
