Ghanaian sprinter, Josephine Anokye, has revealed to Happy Sports that she opted out of the women’s relay team for the upcoming World Relays because she was asked to fund her own trip.
Team Ghana will be competing in the World Relays with both the men’s and women’s team which will be staged in Poland.
The event will also serve as an Olympic qualifier for the athletes.
Josephine Anokye, who has the best time among the other female athletes selected for the women’s relay team, was missing on the list to compete at the event. This has raised concerns.
Speaking from her base in America with Joe Debrah on Wamputu Sports, she confirmed pulling out of the team.
“I am not suppose to pre-finance myself to the World Championship, which was the information I got. I had to pull out”.
“We are student athletes and hence I don’t know where they want me to go get the money from to fund the trip”.
“I am not going for the money but to represent Ghana and if we are going in the name of Ghana they have to fund our trip”.
Despite her omission from the Women’s relay Team, the 200-meters runner said she is confident on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Athletics Association has received support of $10,00 from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to cater for the accommodation of 13 athletes and officials for the World Relays in Poland.
The National Sports Authority is also absorbing the cost of the air tickets for the team.