A formidable trio of Ghana’s weightlifting team is hunting frenetically for Japan 2020 Olympic Games ticket in the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent.
The three: African Games medalists Forester Osei, Christian Amoah and David Akwei, are presently in the Eastern European country to compete in the 6th Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation Annual Weightlifting Championship, taking place in the cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic city of Tashkent.
The championship is an Olympic qualifier and would see the nation open its campaign today.
According to the President of the Ghana Weightlifting Federation (GWF), Mr Ben Nunoo Mensah, who doubles as the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) chief, two of the lifters – Christian Amoah, David Akwei, together with their coach Nii Darku Dodoo, left Accra on Saturday night for the campaign.
The team was joined by Osei, who flew from his base in London.
In March 2019, Osei sparkled to clinch three gold medals at the African Seniors Weightlifting Championship in Libya. The championship, which is wasa 2020 Olympic qualifier, puts Ghana a step closer to qualifying for the Tokyo Games.
Akwei is expected to compete in the 65kg class, whilst Osei and Amoahbattle it out in the 95kg category.
The trip, with a budget of $12,000, was co-sponsored by the GOC and the GWF President.
“It is our hope that Amoah who was at the last Olympics in Rio 2016, together with Osei should be able to pick enough points to eventually secure qualification to Tokyo,” Mr Nunoo Mensah told the Times Sports at the weekend.
The team is expected back home on Thursday, February 13.
BY JOHN VIGAH
