Youth Olympic Gold Medalist, Bissah says no to state scholarship





Citi Sports has gathered that Ghanaian athlete Martha Bissah who won Gold in the Girls' 800m race at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China has refused a scholarship to go to the United States to study and develop her sporting abilities.

President John Dramani 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 as well as focus on the development of her athletics talent, on a scholarship sponsored by the Government Of Ghana

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 but 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 but 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 her decision. 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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