The Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) has announced that Ghana’s men’s team to represent the country for the 4x100m relay at the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest will no longer participate due to injuries.
This comes after two of the team members suffered injuries during the men’s 200m heats on Wednesday.
James Dadzie pulled his hamstring about 80m into the race, resulting in a grade II tear in the bicep femoris muscle in his left hamstring whiles Joseph Amoah also felt a pop during the race.
The development means Ghana is left with only three available for the race.
The GAA in a statement indicated that the withdrawal was required because the race could not be entered with only three athletes available.
“Ghana Athletics deeply regrets to announce the withdrawal of Ghana’s men’s 4x100m relay team from the World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023.
“Unfortunately, two of the five athletes on the relay, James Dadzie and Joseph Paul Amoah, sustained injuries during the 200-meter heats today, August 23, 2023, that require urgent medical care,” the GAA stated.
The association added that “In consultation with the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, GA, firmly believes that it’s in the best interest and greater good of James and Joseph’s careers to discontinue participation in the championships given the circumstances and to shift focus to support options for treatment.”
This means that Ghana is at risk of not making it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and World Relays in the Bahamas in April 2024.