Indeed the most appropriate headline for this story should have been “NO TEARS FOR GHANA AS FAR AS THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT IS CONCERNED”. But it’s somewhat mouthful so let me cut it short.

I saw it written on the wall long ago that Ghana could be bundled out of the revered Olympic fraternity when those who should know better started playing dirty politics with the composition of the Ghana Olympic Committee. Dear reader, please refer to this same blog on October 3 2010.

It is strange that the sports authorities should behave like the ostrich and pretend that all is well with the Ghana Olympic movement.For starters, Ghana has two Olympic Committees with two presidents. One is headed by the long serving incumbent B.T.Baba, for more than 30 years, chairman of the Ghana Handball Association. The other is headed by Prof Francis Doodo, former international athletics star and triple jump prodigy.

This anomaly was created way back in 2009 following a hotly disputed congress of the Ghana Olympic Committee that claimed to have elected Prof Doodo President. The incumbent Baba's strong reaction of reporting the matter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) led to the intervention of the IOC who called for a fresh and more transparent congress.  The paradox is, B.T.Baba actually had the backing of the IOC and it naturally irked the new Ghana Olympic Committee resulting in a funny power struggle.

The fall-out of this silly struggle for power had an adverse effect on Ghana's preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India. Indeed, things were so messed up that it took strong last minute diplomatic contacts between India and Ghana before Ghana's contingent to the Games were given accreditation.

One thought after this nightmarish experience sanity would prevail in the interest of the sportsmen and sportswomen who must not be made to train in vain. But the stalemate is on with the entire nation looking on unconcerned as Ghana's sporting image is being dragged in the mud by a few individuals.

The loud silence by the authorities is likely to confirm speculation of political interference in the affairs of the GOC and concerned sports lovers are eagerly waiting what the future holds for Ghana in the realm of international sports.

The lesson I draw from this episode is that one should be wary of those who claim to work in the interest of our sportsmen and sportswomen. As things stand now, it is not difficult to conclude that self-interest is the number one consideration in such situations.

This reminds me of a short sarcastic letter I read in a Nigerian newspaper that said, "In Africa, every soldier is a potential head of state, everyone wants to be head even if there is no state”.Can we say a similar thing about the Ghana Olympic Committee?

Everyone wants to be President of the Olympic body even if there are no sports participants to cater for and the standing joke is that the nation is looking on as if there is no law and order. What kind of self-destruction can match this? Surely no one should shed tears for the Ghana Olympic Committee.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.