Gaisah Quits Ghana Athletics: Switches Nationality To The Netherlands

Ghana�s long jumper, Ignatius Gaisah, has quit Ghana athletics and he is in the process of formalising his documents to compete for the The Netherlands. The 29-year-old long jumper, who has lived in The Netherlands for the past 12 years has, subsequently, sent a letter to the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) on his decision. By the rules of the International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF), an athlete needs the permission of his national federation to enable him to compete for another country or stay out of competition for two years to qualify to compete for another country. Gaisah, in his letter to the GAA, said, �I would like you to consider my request to give me permission to compete for the Netherlands as soon as possible, as I won�t compete for many years anymore and would like to use the remaining years to go to international tournaments and compete in the international circuit.� He added, �without the permission, it will be hard for me to continue my career since I need the tournaments to get into the international circuits.� Gaisah said the decision to acquire Dutch citizenship was on financial grounds and future opportunities. �The Ghana Federation has always been supportive of me and I hope they will keep doing that, by releasing me to the Dutch Athletics Federation (DAF), having performed for Ghana at the twilight of my career.� He said he was looking forward to staying in The Netherlands after his track and field career and pursue a career in coaching. The General Secretary of the GAA, Fuseini Bawa, told the GNA that, �We will give him all the necessary documents he needs to embark on his new journey. We cannot stop him.� Gaisah is considered one of the most successful athletes in Ghana in recent times. He won silver at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. The following year, he won gold at the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow, and bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India. On the African scene, Gaisah won gold at the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja, and the 2010 African Championships in Bambous, Mauritius. He settled for a silver medal at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique. In a related development, Gaisah told Accra-based Happy FM yesterday that he had not been treated well by the GAA over the years despite sacrificing a lot for the nation. The athlete alleged during the radio interview monitored by the Daily Graphic that between 2007 and 2010, no official of the GAA gave him a call to check on his health after sustaining an injury which lasted for three years. �No one knew how I fed myself and how I managed to pay my bill, yet I came out of injury to win bronze for Ghana. I think I have paid my dues and now have to secure my future,� the apparent bitter athlete said. �It is sad that I have to leave at a time that I have hit my peak. I have jumped over eight metres in all competitions this year,� he said.�