On this day 20 July 2007 (Exactly 13 years ago today) Ghana pulled off a feat as they broke Nigeria’s 34-year stranglehold on the women’s 4X100m relay race to win a precious gold during the 9th All Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.
The Ghanaians finished first with a slim advantage of 0.01 second, a hair’s breadth that could only be detected by slow-motion footage.
Vida Anim ran a spectacular anchor leg to help the Ghanaian women’s win the gold medal in the final.
Anim who could only win a bronze in the 100 metres flat race beat her Nigerian opponent by 0.01 second.
Ghana returned a time of 43.84 seconds, while the Nigerians clocked 43.85 seconds to pip Cote d’Ivoire which finished in third position with a time of 44.48.
There was a bit of drama at the end when the Nigerians thought they had won after the electronic score board repeatedly showed the slow motion of the finish.
They jumped and punched the air but went back into their shells after it was confirmed that Vida had breast the tape ahead of the girl in green and white.
Indeed, with about 30 metres to the finishing line, the Nigerian appeared to be in the lead, but Anim produced a blistering finish to breast the tape just in time to claim the gold. Anim received the baton from Esther Danquah who ran the third leg and had done well enough to keep a close distance from the powerful Nigerian.
Mariama Salifu started the race for Ghana in lane six and proved quite a handful for her challengers as she sprang out of the blocks and raced past two competitors in front of her before handing over the baton to Gifty Addy.
Gifty raced well to get into third place before handing the stick over to Esther at the bend.
And when the queen of Ghana’s tracks, Anim accelerated past her Nigerian opponent and into the lead, the celebrations began from the stands as the Supporters Group struck their bands with glee and sang copiously in jubilation.
Ghana and Nigeria defended their positions from the 2006 African Championships.
MEDALIST
Gold Ghana: Mariama Salifu,Esther Dankwah,Gifty Addy,Vida Anim
Silver Nigeria: Gladys Nwabani,Endurance Ojokolo,Francisca Idoko, Damola Osayomi
Bronze Ivory Coast: Brali Judith Djaman,Louise Ayétotché,Cynthia Niako,Amandine Allou Affoue
Elsewhere;
On this day 20 July 2011(Exactly 9 years ago today) Six candidates were elected onto the Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association during elections after two run-offs.
Fred Crentsil, Felix Amoah Ansong, Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Moses Armah, Randy Abbey and Emmanuel Kyeremeh won elections to represent the Premier League’s six slots on the Ex.Co after 16 delegates cast their votes as eleven candidates contested for elections.
The long drawn elections witnessed two run-offs after the first round of vote cast confirmed an initial four candidates.
The first round of elections saw four out of the eleven candidates – Fred Crentsil (13 votes), Felix Amoah Ansong (12 votes) Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah (10 votes) and Moses Armah (10 votes) secure votes to seal their places.
During the first round voting, four other candidates – Randy Abbey (9 votes) John Frederick Mensah (9 votes) Emmanuel Kyeremeh (9 votes), Kudjoe Fianoo (9 votes) – were tied, leading to a run-off.
Randy Abbey managed to win the first run-off by eight (8 votes) to book his place on the Ex.Co as two candidates – Emmanuel Kyeremeh (7 votes) and Kudjoe Fianoo (7 votes) tied yet again with John Frederick Mensah pulling (6 votes).
The second run-off saw Emmanuel Kyeremeh pull (9 votes) past Kudjoe Fianoo’s (7 votes).
The other candidates who run for elections were Kofi Manu, Jones Alhassan-Abu and Desmond Frimpong-Manso.
By: George ‘Alan Green’ Mahamah
