Former University of Ghana student, high jumper, and Gold medalist at the 13th African Games, Evans Cadman Yamoah, has made a bold acclamation about the University of Ghana’s (UG) Inter-Hall Games, deeming it better than the just-ended African Senior athletics meet in Douala, Cameroon.
The University of Ghana’s annual track and field athletics meet takes place between all halls of residence on campus, with the just climaxed edition going Mensah Sarbah’s way, emerging overall winners after picking up 20 medals — including 11 gold, 8 silver and a bronze.
The high jumper was just one of three track and field athletes to annex gold for Ghana at the African Games, and was a part of the 18 athletes sent out by the Ghana Athletic Association to vie for an Olympic spot in the just-concluded African Senior Athletics Championships in Cameroon.
The occasion was marred, with disorganization being the central theme, leaving renowned sprinters such as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo to force his way out of the meet (after an extended interview with local and foreign journalists on under par organization), while Marie Jose Ta Lou of Ivory Coast also opted out.
Cadman, who participated at the UG games in his time as a student at the institution for Commonwealth Hall, disclosed — in an exclusive interview with Univers Sports — the deteriorative nature of the facilities at the African Championships meet, citing UG’s Inter-Hall Games as better.
I don’t want to be judgmental, but you can’t compare the African Championships in Cameroon to that of Ghana [African Games]. Ghana is way ahead of Cameroon in terms of organization of the event. I feel like University of Ghana Inter halls was way better than what we just did, because warm up pitches had zero hurdles, everything was just poor. People were just complaining here and there, he said.
There was nothing like a gym facility there. We were sharing a common area with the ladies at the washroom at the warm up area. The changing room was shared between men and women, he added.
Yamoah was unable to match the 2.33m mark, which automatically would have secured qualification to Paris for him. But with youth on his side, he is unperturbed about the outcome, and is bent on working harder.
That was the ultimate goal for me, to qualify for the Olympics – but I couldn’t meet the standard. But as time stands by, right now, I’m still young. I’m just 24-years old, i have lots of Olympics to compete for. I have more opportunities coming forward, so right now I have my head high, still practicing. I’m still a high jumper, I’m still going to be me, better my craft and come back stronger.
The Olympic Games commences on July 26, 2024 in Paris.
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Story by: Andrews Sefa Bamfo| univers.ug.edu.gh
