Six athletes from Eritrea, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, and Nigeria will compete in alpine skiing and cross-country events at the Winter Olympics.

There will be lots of African athletes competing in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, with competitors from five different African countries expected to compete.

After what was considered the most ‘African Winter Olympics’ ever at PyeongChang 2018, six athletes return to the Games keen to not only participate but also showcase their progress and budding potential in the sport.

Unlike in PyeongChang when eight nations represented the continent across four sports, the African winter athletes in Beijing will compete in Alpine and Cross-country skiing.

MIALITIANA CLERC, MADAGASCAR, ALPINE SKIING

Mialitiana Clerc is Madagascar’s first female Olympic skier.

She will be the only African woman competing in Beijing after making her Olympic debut at the age of 16 in PyeongChang 2018.

For the youthful skier, it’s no longer only about the experience:

“I’m trying to be the first woman who will be on a World Cup podium and to medal at the Olympics,” she told Olympics.com in an interview.

Clerc, who is now 20 years old, has raced at the World Championships in Are and in the 2019-2020 season, putting up a string of strong performances on the South American Cup circuit and FIS events in Argentina.

She also competed in Europa Cup and World Cup events, which helped her collect enough points to qualify for the Olympics for the second time.

“I feel lucky because there are not a lot of African women in the world of skiing. I try to enjoy and to be proud of myself and get the best results because I’m here for that…”

“I Want To Be One Of The Best Skiers In The Alpine Skiing World. And At The Olympics In Beijing, I Want To Be In The Top 40.” – Mialitiana Clerc, Malagasy Skier.

Clerc was born in Ambohitrmanjaka, a small village outside of Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital.

She was adopted by a French family when she was one year old, but she maintained contact with her real parents. Even though she despised the cold, she began skiing at the age of three.

Skiing with friends became more enjoyable as she grew older, and the cold became more acceptable as she gained a new appreciation for the mountains around her home in the French Alps’ Haute-Savoie region.

MATHIEU NEUMULLER, MADAGASCAR, ALPINE SKIING

Clerc’s Olympic exploits inspired 18-year-old Mathieu Neumuller, who will become the third Malagasy at the Winter Games.

Another skier, Mathieu Razanakolona, was the first athlete ever to represent the island nation at the Winter Olympics at Turin 2006.

Neumuller also competes in slalom and giant slalom and the Mont-de-Marsan native will be Madagascar’s flag-bearer in Beijing.

He’s delighted to get the chance to fly the flag after pursuing a passion inspired by his father, a ski instructor, who’s been helping and coaching him since he was just 3 years old.

“The Olympic Games are a stage in skiing that is exceptional, and [the thought of it] makes my heart beat very fast. A little stress but a lot of joy,” Neumuller told Olympics.com.

He learned his craft at the ‘Club des 2 Alpes,’ and has competed in a number of contests since then, including three World Cup events in France.

For his Olympic debut, the Malagasy has high expectations.

“In Beijing, I aim first of all to exceed my current performance and have a good ranking among the best. What would be exceptional would be finishing in the top 30.”

SAMUEL IKPEFAN, NIGERIA, CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

The skier from the French Alps will ensure Nigeria’s flag flies again after their historic Winter Olympics debut in PyeongChang.

In 2018, Nigeria made headlines when their athletes qualified in skeleton and bobsleigh.

Now four years later the cross-country skier will become the first athlete from Africa’s most populous country to test his speed and endurance on Olympic terrain.

The French-born skier opted to represent Nigeria after his dreams of representing France became impossible in 2011.

Ikpefan, 29, was on the verge of quitting the sport until he discovered the potential to compete as a Nigerian.

In 2018, the former French Youth sprint champion has been authorised to compete for the West African nation. He was ecstatic to don the green and white colors, which he saw as an opportunity to strengthen his ties with his father’s homeland.

“With the food or the music, I have always been immersed in the Nigerian culture,” he told Olympics.com.

He just got a taste of top-level competition in January 2021, when he competed in his first World Cup in Falun, Sweden, where he grew up in the French Alps.

He raced in the cross-country World Championships a few weeks later.

“I am proud to have the chance to represent an African nation at the Olympic Games,” said Ikpefan, who hails from a family of athletes that includes a rugby playing brother, Daniel.

He hopes that his Olympic journey will peak in Milano Cortina 2026, and that he can inspire a new generation of Nigerian skiers.

“For Milano Cortina 2026, I was appointed captain of a team composed of three young skiers that are from Nigeria but live in other countries. [My role was] to explain to them the process and to help them on their Olympic journey.”

YASSINE AOUICH, MOROCCO, ALPINE SKIING

Moroccans will also have an Olympian to root for at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre.

Yassine Aouich will represent his country at the Winter Olympics for the eighth time.

He is from Ifrane, which is located in the Atlas Mountains and is recognized for its Alpine climate.

He grew up in a region in northern Morocco that holds the record of the lowest temperature ever observed in Africa: −23.9 degrees Celsius.

Aouich, who takes part in giant slalom, achieved his lifelong dream after contesting at the 2020-2021 World championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo and an FIS race in Kolasin, Montenegro.

“I promised my son that I could qualify for the Olympics, so I have to do it, I was also able to train at home because there is sometimes snow in the mountains of Morocco,” he said in an interview with ORF Vorarlberg

CARLOS MAEDER, GHANA, ALPINE SKIING

Carlos Maeder, a Ghanaian, is another debutant to keep an eye on.

He earned a noteworthy qualification and will become only the third Ghanaian to compete in the Winter Olympic Games.

Maeder will also line up in giant slalom. He’s the second Olympian skier from his country after the ‘Snow Leopard’ Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, who competed at Vancouver 2010.

In 2018 Akwasi Frimpong qualified in the men’s skeleton event.

“I Want To Break Barriers” – Meet Ghana’s Skeleton Sensation Akwasi Frimpong

It has been a long chase for Olympic glory for the Cape Coast native who began skiing when he was only three, after he was adopted by a Swiss family.

“Since my mother was alone and could not feed me, she had to give me up for adoption,” he explains on his blogsite.

“I was adopted by a Swiss family and grew up in the heart of Switzerland. Thanks to my Swiss parents, who maintained contact with my mother, I have remained in touch with Ghanaian culture all my life. I travel as much as possible to Cape Coast to visit my big family there.”

In 2017, the Lucerne-based former young player set himself the ambition of becoming an Olympian.

“I was better at football, but skiing was always a part of me. I wanted to qualify for PyeongChang but I didn’t know that the qualification window is two years, so I missed the first year,” he said in an interview with Olympics.com.

 “Two years ago, I got an Olympic scholarship which was wonderful, but it’s not easy with the budget I have. I lost one year of qualification [due to COVID-19] and then I was injured and didn’t have enough time. I am a one-man show. I couldn’t [even] afford a coach.”

“It Was A Long And Hard Road…It’s Something Very, Very Special As An African Representing An African Country In The Winter Sports.” – Carlos Maeder, Ghanaian Skier.

The 43-year-old hopes that his Beijing achievement would encourage others to pursue their ambitions.

“For me, there is more to sports than just winning. I want to set a good example and show young people in Switzerland and Ghana that you can do anything with the necessary will and effort – ain’t no mountain high enough!”

SHANNON ABEDA, ERITREA, ALPINE SKIING

Shannon-Ogbnai Abeda is another African set to return to the Olympic slopes in Beijing.

Abeda is Eritrea’s first winter Olympian and began ice skating when he was three. Initially, he wanted to be an ice hockey player but was discouraged by his parents who thought the game was too dangerous.

In 2011 he decided to compete for his parents’ birth country in skiing and got the nod for the 2012 Youth Olympic Games. His parents settled in Canada after fleeing war in Eritrea in the 1980s.

“When I was 7 or 8 years old, I drew a picture of myself standing on the podium of the Olympics. As a child you make dreams and you talk about these things, I never expected myself to be here,” he said in an interview with the Olympic Channel in 2018 at PyeongChang 2018 Games.

ERITREA PARTICIPATES IN THE WINTER GAMES FOR THE FIRST TIME

A weightlifter and a coder, he announced his retirement from alpine skiing just after PyeongChang and even considered switching to bobsleigh.

However, he resumed skiing in September 2021 with the hopes of qualifying for the Olympics and was relieved when he was awarded a quota three months later.

“It’s too surreal and it hasn’t sunk yet…I have officially qualified for my second Olympic Games. About two months [ago], I was close to throwing in the towel,” he posted on Instagram.

“I want to share my story more and use my voice to inspire a future generation of winter Olympians from Eritrea and the diaspora.”- Shannon Abeda, Eritrean skier.

“I hope I can build off my performance at the last Olympics and obtain a better result*. *I, unfortunately, got caught up in the little things at the last games that I did not even consider the bigger picture,” he told Olympics.com

“ I did not really capitalize on my experience in PyeongChang and I got way too wrapped up in competing and forgetting to actually enjoy myself while I was there.”

The alpine skiing events will begin on February 3.

The cross-country events will begin on February 5.

Source: olympics.com

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, is ready to play for Ghana’s senior national team- Black Stars following a meeting with yet to be appointed Ghana new manager Chris Hughton.

The 63-year-old former Norwich and Newcastle manager who was sacked by Brighton in May 2019, has been tipped for the Black Stars job following the exit of Serbian manager Milovan Rajevac who was fired by the Ghana Football Association after Ghana’s disastrous Afcon exit.

Having arrived in the country earlier this week, Hughton held a meeting with the father of the Chelsea star in Accra and subsequently met the player at the Labadi Beach Hotel to discuss the possibility of getting him to play for the four-time African champions.

Oyerepa FM’s journalist Eugene Adu Poku, reports that the player is convinced with Hughton’s project and has made his willingness to play for Ghana known to the former Nottingham Forest boss.

Meanwhile, Chris Hughton will go-ahead to meet Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey and Southampton star Mohammed Salisu separately to get them feature for the Black Stars.

Ghana will play rivals Nigeria in the 2022 Fifa World Cup play-offs in March.

The aggregate winner of the two-legged clash will book qualification to play in the Qatar 2022 global showpiece in Qatar.

Houghton was born on 11 December 1958 in London to a Ghanaian postman, Willie Hughton, and his Irish wife Christine née Bourke.

Having an African background Chris qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland as the son of an Irish mother and a Ghanaian father, becoming the first mixed-race player to represent the country.

The President of the Ghana Olympic Committee Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah has secured kit sponsorship for Team Ghana at the 2022 Winter Olympics Games.

Nunoo Mensah made this possible through his business partners in China.

The kits have been delivered to the Games Village, anticipating the arrival of the entire Team Ghana.

The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Beijing 2022, is a forthcoming international winter multi-sport event slated to take place from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing and venues near the neighbouring towns of Yanqing and Chongli in China.

Coach Ebenezer ANANG-WHYTE - Ghana's National Table Tennis Trainer Of Super Stars

Coach ANANG-WHYTE has been consistent since 2005 when he was voted the best coach in Ghana Table Tennis after the ATL National Table Tennis League.

The then president of the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Squadron leader Rtd Ebo Bartels decreed during his initial coaching that Coach Whyte has the potential to soar high and truly his words are manifesting.

Coach Whyte was trained to coach by the late coach S.K.Allotey (deceased) who was a former national champion and became a national team coach.

Coach Whyte went on and learned from his senior coaches, Mr.E.A.Quaye, Mr.Nartey, Mr Jimmy Lokko, Mr. Prince Amartey, Mr. Joseph Owusu Addo, MrYarboi, Mr Vincent .A. Arhin and Mr. Anthony Owusu Ansah.

Coach Whyte started coaching in the late 80sa at the LA Dadekotopon Community. He was officially appointed the coach of the LA Wireless Cluster of Basic Schools in September 1991.

Due to his effectiveness in coaching, he had the opportunity to coach all the schools in the LA community. He became the Kpeshie Sub-Metropolitan Table Tennis coach1993. He was invited into the Accra Metropolitan table tennis team 1994 and later joined Mr Nartey who was a P.E.teacher and the Greater Accra table Tennis coach in the Greater Accra Regional Table Tennis team.

He acted as the Greater Accra Table Tennis coach till 2006 before he was employed into the National Sports Authority as the Western Regional Table Tennis coach In the Western Region he produced players in the likes of Joseph Amisah among others.

Coach Whyte used his new team to qualify to the semifinals in the 2006 National Schools and Colleges’ Sports festival in Tamale . that was the first time in 15 years Western Region qualified to the semifinals.

Coach Whyte was then transferred to Greater Accra to become the Greater Accra coach in November that same year. He came back and continued with his players he left behind. He formed the Ghana Immigration Table Tennis team with his own players and won the Security Services Sports Association (SSESA) Games three times continues. A record of sweeping all the 7 gold medals in the 2011 SESSA Games for Ghana Immigration.

Coach Whyte was transferred to the Eastern Region in 2009 where he met players like Samuel Akayede, Emmanuel Asante, Desmond Osei, Gloria Asafo-Adjei among others. All were under 15 players and he trained and raised them through under 18 and 20 categories to become outstanding senior players and are now with the Ghana Army, Ghana Immigration Services and Ghana Revenue Authority just to mention a few. The new players he has produced from Eastern Region are, Emmanuel Ofori, Kojo Gordon, Solomon Danso, Jude Osei, Hilda Agbotha,Judith Acheampong, Mavis Okyere, Daina Opoku and others .

Players Coach Whyte produced since the 90s are as follows:

1.Phill John Quartey (Metro TV Sports presenter)

2.Anum Ollenu (USA.a former national player)

3.Ashiakwe Ollenu (Italy)

4.Nii Nai Sowah (UK)

5.Gertrude Naadu Lartey (USA)

6.Rahel Ako (USA, former fireo fficer)

7.Emmanuel Dartey (Fireofficer)

8.Florence Sarpong (Fireofficer)

9.Millecent Mamah (Fire officer)

10.Kofi Kakari (Army senior officer)

11.Reginald Addo Ankamah (Physical Educationist)

12.LordKingful Steven (software engineer)

13.Charles Essel (Abroad)

14.SamuelAgyepong (Banker)

15.Francis Nana Kwame Akoma (Former National u15 Champion–Now an I.T. System Administrator/Projects and Errand Coordinator)

16.Lawrence Nyanyo Nmai (Now Int. Kickboxer Based in Switzerland)

17.Odoi Sowah (Marine engineer)

18.Sammy Adjei (former Black Stars keeper)

19.Godfred Asamoah

20.Bernice Borle Borquaye (Navy officer)

21.Rahel OboshieTorgbor (Navy officer)

22.Felix Oduro Asafo Adjei (Airforce officer)

23.Benjamin Nelson (Navy officer)

24.Jacob Saikum (Prison officer)

25.Esther Quaye (Prison officer)

26.Usif Allah Laryer (Army officer)

27.Joseph LarteiTagoe (Army officer)

28.Vida Asare (Airforce officer)

29.Emmanuel Ofori (Army officer)

30.Ernest Q. Mawutor (Fire officer)

31.Doreen Nartey (Immigration officer)

32.Deborah Allotey (Immigration officer)

33.Abigail Tetteh (Immigration officer)

34.Hilda Agbonaa (Immigration officer)

35.Linda Annor  (Immigration officer)

36.Cynthia Kwabie (Immigration officer)

37.Emmanuel Commey (Immigration officer)

38.Felix Lartey (Immigration officer)

39.Derek Abrefa (Immigration officer)

40.Solomon Akunnor (Australia former national champion)

41.Daniel Yemoh Quarshie (GT Bank)

42.Gabriel Ayikwei

Coach Whyte was voted the best coach in the 2005 Atlantic National Table Tennis League. He retained till he was voted again the best coach in 2016 Stanbic Table Tennis League. He won the SWAG Special Award in 2016. Coach Whyte and his players have been on top of Ghana Table Tennis from 2008 till date when they won the grandmaster s of Ghana Table tennis in both male and female categories.

All the men who have played the national team since 2008 till date have passed through the hands of coach Whyte.

"Above all my responsibilities as the environment coach LaDadekotopon is to fully unlock the capabilities of my players, so that he or she plays as nearly as possible to the absolute limits of full potential through fair and firm means" he said.

“Moreover, here are my 8 core responsibilities as a Professional Table Tennis Coach,that will enable me and my technical staff to Unearth and Nurture talents for the LA Dadekotopon Constituency and they are as follows”:

1.Set Vision, Goals and Standards for Sport Program.

2.Engage in and Support Ethical Practices.

3.Build Relationships

4.Develop a safe sport Environment.

5.Create a Positive and inclusive Sport Environment

6.Conduct Practices and Prepare for Competition

7.Strive for Continuous improvement.

8. An Obligation to Produce World Class Players from LA who will compete for Ghana in World Competitions.

From Sammy Heywood Okine

Renowned Ghanaian sports journalist Kwabena Yeboah has been nominated onto the board of directors of the Ghana Airports Company Limited.

The veteran sports presenter of Ghana Television who doubles as the president of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana and Mr. Kwadwo Egyir – Danso were added to the board as nominees of President Akufo Addo.

The board already had seven members including Paul Adom Otchere – the host of Good Evening Ghana program on Metro TV who is the chairperson of the board.

Former Brighton & Hove Albion coach, Chris Hughton is reported to have arrived in Ghana amidst reports that he is the leading candidate for the vacant Black Stars role.

He hails from James Town British Accra.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, has directed the Committee on Youth and Sports to investigate the poor performance of the Black Stars, which led to their early exit from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

The Committee is also expected to come out with a report as to what resulted in the abysmal performance of the national team for the House’s consideration.

The directive by the First Deputy Speaker follows a statement by Mr Kobena Woyome, the Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee, and contributions made by members on the floor concerning the Black Stars performance.

He mentioned four factors, which had affected Ghana football such as poor management, coach selection, poor player selection, and poor coordination of pre-tournament activities.

Mr Woyome called for a critical look at sports development in Ghana as a whole if the country was to make an impact in international tournaments and also seen as a “sports nation,” adding that government must initiate an agenda for holistic sports development.

“Mr Speaker, for us to see a positive turn around in Ghana’s football and giving the central role of sports in national development, and in fostering national unity, there is the need for the Government to, as a matter of urgency, initiate a process for a holistic sports development agenda that adopts short to long term approaches…”

Mr Patrick Boamah, MP for Okaikoi South and Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee, called for an investigation into player selection to the national team, which, he said, was fraught with challenges and did not provide the best of players for the Black Stars.

He said player discipline was another concern, which led to their poor performance and early exit from the tournament.

He said sports administrators were taking cover from FIFA’s provision that government could not interfere in football administration yet they depend on government for money and sponsorship.

The Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, who sought to clarify issues, said prior to the 2021 AFCON, a Presidential Fundraising for corporate entities was launched to solicit support for the Black Stars in the AFCON and the World Cup if they qualified.

He said the target was to raise $25 million but only two million dollars was realised.

He said Ghanaians were disappointed in the poor performance of the Black Stars and expressed the hope that measures would be put in place to improve their game.

Hon. Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs. Cecilia A. Dapaah and Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa have commended Unilever Ghana for supporting the successful 7th Schools Sanitation Programme.

This was after they had received the report on the programme for Season Seven in a challenging period of Covid 19.

The Minister and Director General of the Ghana Education Service hailed Unilever Ghana for sponsoring  Season Seven of the Schools Sanitation Programme and providing schools and students over 300,000 of Rexona, 150,000 Key Brillant Nosemasks, 150,000 Vim Nosemasks, over 50,000 pieces of Brillant Soap, over 50,000 pieces of Vaseline, over 70, 000 cans of Vim for cleaning bath houses / sinks and over 30,000 Sunlight Dishwash for cleaning tables and hand wash demo.

The Schools Sanitation Programme is a product of One - On - One Foundation which every second cycle educational institution wish to participate.

It involves learning, practicing personal and environmental as well as quiz and washing competitions.

Students also enjoy the entertainment aspect of sports and fitness with aerobics and dance.

As the programme moves to Season 8 which would be launched soon, General Manager of One - On - One Foundation, Miss Sarah Awini has hinted that they are going to be innovation as usual with the introduction of new events like Television Series to make the Schools Sanitation more exciting and reach a wider range.

She advised students to keep on being hygienic and support environmental cleanliness, by discouraging people from littering their surroundings.

50 schools took part in Season 7, and he promised that it will increase to 70, from 10 regions in Ghana.

By Sammy Heywood Okine

The Ghana Athletics Association, (GAA) through the support of the World Athletics project "Athletics Olympic Dividend" (AOD), organised a 3-day intensive certificate program for Ghanaian coaches in a quest to build and strengthen their capacities.

The Athletics Olympic Dividend, (AOD) is a project funded by the World Athletics and granted to recognized member associations across the globe to promote and develop the sport.

The 3 days GAA Athletics Olympic Dividend program which took place in the Ahafo region, Goaso from Monday, 24th to Wednesday 26th January, 2022 saw 24 coaches participate.

The association's objective of developing the sport through the funded project began in December 2020 in the Savannah region and expected to end in February 2022 in the Oti Region.

It has also outlined other major training programs and events in line with the rules and regulations of the World Athletics (WA).

Participants who benefited from the program in an interview expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the World Athletics and the Ghana Athletic Association for organizing such a life-changing course.

They disclosed that the Athletics Olympic Dividend,  (AOD) project has impacted the lives of coaches and athletes positively.

Source ModernGhana

Ghanaian female striker Elshaddai Acheampong scores 39 goals in 9 games for Gokulam Kerala FC in 2021/2022 Indian Kerala Women’s League.