The struggle for sports excellence in Ghana continues unabated and one still wonders whether we can smile as a nation with the failures that has characterized all aspects of our sports in recent times.
Ghana's performance at the just ended Olympics in Rio is nothing to write home about.
Let us assume that one of our lot won a single gold medal and our anthem "God bless our homeland Ghana", was echoed at the games, it would have made all Ghanaians proud and our sports as a whole.
Ghana's male team the Black Meteors and their female counterparts failed to qualify to Rio and the country sent 16 contingent to compete for honors at the world stage but non was able to go pass the qualifying mark after all exited at the first round.
Boxer Omar Adbul failed to impress during his first outing as he lost unanimously to send him out of the games.
As if that was not enough, Weightlifter, Christian Amoah, Jalvin thrower John Amponsah and a few who the nation's hope rests, exited at the first round to send the whole nation into dilemma with the country's football and Sports Ministry leaders at each other's throat.
Africa will forever be grateful and celebrate the brilliance work done by great athletes who defended their country and made them proud at the Global sporting stage in Rio.
The whole continent salute your exploits and great achievement. David Rushia, Wayde Van Niekerk, Caster Semenya, Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, Vivian Chruiyot, Kipruto and Hyin Kiyeng Jepkemoi names will be written in gold for their successes chalked at Rio games in Brazil.
Rudshia, cemented his status as one of the games' greatest 800m runners after finishing in 1.42.15 minutes in Rio.
Another African in the person of Algeria's Tauofik Makhloufi finished in second with a time of 1.42.61 minutes.
Rudshia retained his olympic title after going through difficulties especially during the Diamond league event in the middle of the year.
South Africa's national champion Caster Semenya, who has been subjected to gender testing in 2012 when she won silver in London, set a national record to win in one minute 55.28 seconds and finish well clear of silver medalist Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi to win Gold in the women's 800m finals.
Kenya's Margaret Nyairera Wambui took bronze.
The world was shocked to see young and talented South Africn Wayde Van Niekerk, break Michael Johnson's 17-year-old 400m world record to sensationally win Olympic gold at the Rio 2016.
He beat competition from the Olympic and former world champion Kirani James, London 2012 gold medalist and American LaShawn Merritt to bronze. Van Niekerk, in Lane eight, powered around the final bend to beat his previous personal best by 0.45, which was amazing to the world.
Africans continued to dominate the long distance with Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge winning the men's marathon to claim Gold in 2 hours 8 minutes 44 secoonds. Ethiopian Galen Rupp came second.
The long distance is usually dominated by Kenyans, and heading into Rio, the 31-year-old Kipchoge had lost just once in seven career marathons, at Berlin in 2013. Only three years ago, he moved up to the marathon distance.
Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya beat hot favorite, Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana in the women's 5,000m at the games. Ayana was trying to be only the second woman to complete the distance double, but she had no answer to Cheruiyot and was only able to hang on for a bronze medal.
Another Kenyan magic caused a stir when Conseslus Kipruto stormed to victory in the men's 3,000m steeplechase final, ensuring the East African nation maintained its iron grip on the event it has won in every games since 1984. The African produced a final lap sprint that saw him grab gold in an olympic record 8 minutes 3.28 seconds.
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