Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) Second Vice President, Frederick Lartey Otu, has been re-elected as President of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) at its elective congress on Friday at Tema.
Mr Lartey Otu, from the Greater Accra region, polled 20 votes as against seven for his only contender, Martin Prince Oppan from the Western Region.
In the Vice President race, Charles Tsibo Cromwell was elected into office with 19 of the total Votes. His opponents, Rev Samuel Annor, polled six, while Terrance Asare had two votes.
Two members – Adnan Odartey Lamptey and Stephen Amegashie Jnr, were also elected into the Executive Board by congress with 25 votes each.
Lartey Otu’s re-election would be his second term as President of the GTF since he first won elections in 2013.
The election for a new executive board had delayed since 2017, because of a court suit, which questioned the incumbent’s legibility as president.
A court order, however, gave Lartey Otu the mandate to serve as President till the case was over. The plaintiffs, after five years, then filed for a discontinuance of the suit which was heard on May 9.
There was another application for injunction from a different group of people, after the Executive Board immediately prepared for Elective Congress, which was scheduled for July 1. That case was struck out by the court on July 6.
The election was organised to coincide with the 12th Korean Ambassador’s Cup Taekwondo Championships at the same venue to reduce traveling cost for delegates from the regions.
Dr Jonathan Nnaji, Vice President of AFTU and Chairman of Member Relations Commission, together with Mr Prince Ikechukwu Nwafuru, member of AFTU Legal Committee, were observers of the election.
Mr Lartey Otu, a 7th degree Black belter and Honorary Class Taekwondo referee, intends to continue the development of Taekwondo in Ghana, in Africa and the world, as he is currently the Chairman of the Development Committee of the African Taekwondo Union.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
