Ghanaian athlete Martha Bissah has refused a scholarship to go to the United states to study and develop her sporting abilities, according to citifmonline.com.
President John Mahama said in the State of the Nation address on the 26th of February that Bissah was to be sent to the United States to continue her education and athletic training on a scholarship for winning a gold medal in the women’s 800m event at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.
According to the Ghana Athletics Association, Bissah was due to leave Ghana earlier this year after the necessary processes had been completed but it seems the athlete has decided to turn her back on the opportunity.
It is unclear whether Bissah’s decision is out of her personal conviction or influence from her family.
“The Association began the process and we tried getting Martha to buy into the idea that it was important for her to take up the opening because it would help her attain academic and sporting excellence.
However, she opted out and chose not to pursue it at this point,” said Dominic Kankam the General Secretary of the Ghana Athletics Association, in an interview with Citi Sports on Tuesday.
Kankam continued to say that even though the Association was disappointed with the development, it admitted that it could do nothing since Bissah’s decision was personal.
He also mentioned some athletes who had already gone to the United States to benefit from their scholarships.
“There is nothing we can do about it and we have to respect what she is saying. We tried to help her but it did not happen. Other athletes like Solomon Afful and Mike Bruce have already left and Martha could have gone with them but she refused to do so this year.”
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