Former Ghana sprinter, Emmanuel Tuffour, has called on authorities to punish the leadership and coaches that led the country to the 2022 Commonwealth Games over Ghana’s disqualification of the 4×100 Meter Heat.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) disqualified Ghana after officials from the Ghanaian contingent failed to report a change in the relay team’s personnel.
Joseph Paul Amoah, 200 Meter Runner, was replaced by youngster Abdul-Rasheed Saminu to aid Amoah prepare for his individual event.
However, the CGF wasn’t notified of this development in time for the necessary change to be made official resulting in the disqualification.
Ghana’s team of Benjamin Azamati, Saminu, Barnabas Agerh and Sean Safo-Antwi finished third in Heat 1 with a time of 39.05 seconds.
However, Tuffour, speaking on Asempa FM, says officials and coaches who failed to notify organisers of the games after the changes must be punished.
“What happened to the 4×100m team is totally embarassing and for me, people must be punished,” he said on the Ultimate Sports Show.
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“We all know that it has been established that the coaches and officials failed to notify the organisers after the change was made so the question is, what were the coaches and officials doing?
“They have let the guys down because they have trained for this and someone’s negeligence has let the team down.
“I know Ghana Athletics Association [GAA] has apologised for what has happened but that apology must be thrown out because what happened is unacceptable.
“The GAA goes to congress without informing anybody and before we realize, a president and his vice have been elected and now look at what has happended. This is unacceptable and the officials and coaches must be punished,” he added.
Paul Amoah went on to win bronze in the Men’s 200 Meter Final; a first podium finish for Ghana since 1974.