Ghanaian sprinter, Janet Amponsah, has been selected to represent Africa at this year’s IAAF Intercontinental cup in Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
Amponsah will compete in the women’s 100m and 4x100m events at the championships slated for September 8 -9, which will also see Ivorian Marie Josee Ta Lou and Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare run for the continent
The 25 year old was selected as part of Africa’s team, after winning a silver medal and a bronze in the women’s 100m and 200m events respectively, at the just ended Africa Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria.
“I’m really happy. I remember in 2015, I was in good shape and was aiming for it but I could not make it,” Amponsah told Citi Sports.
“So I’m really proud that this year I was able to make it,” she said.
Overall, the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) named 77 athletes to represent the continent at the championships.
South Africa has the highest number of athletes (20) on the team and will be led by Akani Simbine, the African and Commonwealth 100m champion. Nigeria follows with a total of 16 athletes, while Kenya has nine athletes.
Morocco has a total of six athletes, while Egypt and Ethiopia both have four athletes on the team. Three athletes from Botswana made the team, and two each from Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Algeria.
Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Burundi, Swaziland, Uganda and Djibouti only have one athlete each on the team.
While Nigeria’s gold-medal winning 4x100m women’s relay team and South Africa’s gold-winning 4x100m men’s relay teams were selected, the gold-winning teams in the men and women’s 4x400m relays from Asaba weren’t included in the list.
Kenya took GOLD in the men’s 4x400m, while the Nigerian did same in the women’s category.
The athletes listed for the women’s 4x400m in Ostrava are Caster Semenya, Glory Nathaniel and Christine Botlogetswe, while South Africa’s Phora Thapelo, Baboloki Thebe and Nijel Amos were named on the men’s 4x400m squad for Africa.
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Fentuo Tahiru/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
