Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has dismissed claims that the broken vaulting poles used during the recent African Athletics Championships were supplied by the Local Organising Committee (LOC).

Speaking to JoyNews’ James Avedzi on May 18, the Buem MP explained that athletes who participated in the pole vault event used their own equipment and not poles provided by organisers.

According to Mr Adams, some vaulting poles broke during the competition, leading sections of the public to wrongly assume that the equipment had been supplied by Ghana.

“In the course of the competition, we witnessed some athletes whose vaulting poles broke, but people thought those vaulting poles were provided by Ghana. No, every athlete who took part in the event came with their own vaulting poles,” he said.

Mr Adams explained that it is standard international practice for athletes competing in pole vault events to use equipment they are familiar with.

He noted that organisers are only responsible for providing facilities such as the landing area, crossbar, and support stands, while athletes provide their own vaulting poles, which are later certified by technical officials before use.

The minister cited the South African team as an example, stating that they travelled to Ghana with their own vaulting poles and paid deposits at the airport to facilitate the temporary importation of the equipment.

“Indeed, for the South Africans, they had to pay a deposit at the airport so that upon departure they could prove the equipment was brought in only for the competition and not to remain in Ghana,” he explained.

Mr Adams, therefore, urged the public to disregard claims that the broken poles belonged to the organisers.

“So let it sink well with everybody that the vaulting poles that were snapping were not poles provided by Ghana. They were poles brought by the athletes themselves,” he stated.

He also rejected reports that an official of the Local Organising Committee had confirmed that the equipment was supplied by organisers.

Responding to claims that an LOC official had made such comments on the radio, Mr Adams described the assertion as inaccurate.

“That is not true. I am saying this as a minister. If any official from the LOC spoke, then call that official out,” he said.

The minister clarified that the individual who had earlier commented on the matter was Ghana Athletics Association Vice-President Charles Osei Asibey, who later corrected his remarks.

According to Mr Adams, Mr Asibey initially stated that athletes were not permitted to bring their own vaulting poles, but later retracted the comment after realising he had misspoken.

Mr Adams maintained that athletes competing in technical events such as javelin and pole vault customarily use their own equipment, stressing that the practice is widely recognised internationally.

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Kofi Adams rejects claims Ghana supplied broken pole vault equipment for African Athletics Championships

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