Former Jamaican sprinter, Asafa Powell has arrived in Ghana following an invitation by the Ghana Olympic Committee.
Powell arrived at the Kotoka International Airport with his Ghanaian wife, Alyshia Powell on Monday, February 27, 2023, and is expected to stay for 10 days.
As part of his visit, he will have engagements with President Akufo-Addo, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the African Games in Accra and the Ghana Athletics Association.
President of the Ghana Olympic Committee Ben Nunu Mensah who was also at the airport to welcome the athlete said the sprinter’s visit to Ghana has been on the table for a long but was not possible due to Covid-19 and added that the story of Asafa Powell is an inspiration to sports athletes in Ghana.
“Well, it’s been on the table for a long but for Covid Asafa and Alyshia would have been here.
“When you hear the story of Asafa Powell, then you know that every kid in Bukom, every kid in Nima, every kid in most of our deprived areas can also one day become somebody like Asafa Powell.
“So that’s the whole story, he is here to inspire every Ghanaian doing sports, every child on the street who wants to take up sports, he is here to inspire you,” he said.
Between June 2005 and May 2008, Asafa Powell twice broke the world mark for the 100 meters with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds. Powell has a personal best of 9.72 seconds, which places him fourth all-time among men’s 100-meter athletes.
Powell has a history of breaking the 10-second threshold in competition. ย Powell has broken the ten-second threshold 97 times as of 1 September 2016, more than any other person.
He currently owns the 100-yard dash world mark, clocking in at 9.09 seconds on May 27, 2010, in Ostrava, Czech Republic. He took home a gold medal in the 4 ร 100-meter relay at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
