The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has confirmed that Jamaican-born International sports icon, Asafa Powell, will be visiting Ghana from February 27 to March 9, 2023.
A former world record holder in the 100 metres sprint, Asafa, who is married to Ghanaian model, Alyshia Powell, will be accompanied by their two children.
A native of Spanish Town-Jamaica, Powell will be in the country for the first time at the invitation of the GOC.
He set the 100 metres world record twice, between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds.
The powerful sprinter has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competitions, with his personal best of 9.72 seconds, ranking fourth on the all-time list of men’s 100-metre athletes.
On September 1, 2016, Powell was credited to have broken the ten-second barrier more times than any other athletes “97 times.”
Powell also once held the world record for the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.09 seconds, set on May 27, 2010 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil, he added a gold medal to his collection in the 4×100 metres relay.
The President of the GOC, Mr Ben Nunoo Mensah, confirmed that once in Ghana, the 40-year-old will be involved in a number of charity and social engagements to be covered by the local and international media.
“Asafa will pay a courtesy call on President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the Jubilee House and also engage the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS), the GOC, the LOC of the African Games Accra 2023, as well as the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) on how best Ghana sports can benefit from his huge image on the International sports arena.”
The Director of Communications at the GOC; Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, said these activities have been carefully put together by the GOC.
“Asafa’s visit is aimed at inspiring, motivating and promoting the development of athletics, and the interest of our youth in the sport.”
Apart from strengthening Ghana-Jamaica relations, Asafa visit will also see him hold various sports clinics, and visit some Senior and Junior High schools as well as all sports facilities under construction for the next African Games, slated to be hosted in Accra, next year.
