French Junior triple jump champion Mathilde Boateng not ruling out Ghana

2006 French Junior Triple jump champion Mathilde Boateng is not ruling out switching allegiance to compete for Ghana in the near future. The 23 year old French based athlete, who has a Personal Best (PB) of 13.36 meters, is eligible to compete for Ghana since her parents are from the country. The Strasburg based athlete is scheduled to take part in the nation�s first ever international track and field meet, rLG Ghana Grand Prix on Saturday, 6th August, 2011 at the Baba Yara stadium. Speaking to E TV Sports, Mathilde Boateng admitted that she is yet to make a final decision on the issue but says she is not completely ruling out competing for Ghana. �Yes. I have always thought about it and I always think about it. But I don�t know. �Maybe in a few years, I will but when I go to the competition, I will talk with the Ghana Athletics Association and talk about the organisation and see if it is good for me. �I want to have information about them (Ghana Athletics Association).� Mathilde Boateng could be following in the footsteps of another French based hammer thrower Linda Benin who switched nationalities last year to compete for Ghana at the African Athletics Championship in Kenya. U.K based sprinter Tim Abeyie has also completed formalities to compete for the country, and many more athletes of Ghanaian descent are expected to follow suit soon according to sources. The rLG Ghana Grand Prix will bring together about 100 athletes to compete for laurels at the Baba Yara Stadium. The list includes 2005 World Women�s long jumper Tianna Madison, Jamaican sprinter Oshane Bailey, American sprinter Terrel Wilks and Nichole Denby. They are to be joined by the country renowned athletes including Ignisious Gaisah, Vida Anim, Aziz Zakari and Margaret Simpson. The Ghana Athletics Association is hoping to raise the profile of the sport in the country through the meet as well as providing a unique platform for local athletes to gain international exposure. Mathilde Boateng is thrilled to be part of the event. �It is important for me because first I�m a Ghanaian and I want to go back to my mother country and show my countrymen that not only Americans or French can do track and field. �I�m happy to show that there are Ghanaians who can also do track and field and that I�m proud to be Ghanaian. Mathilde set out her target for the event �I want to do my personal best and why not jump 14 meters.� Meanwhile, over 30 international track and field stars are expected in the country by Thursday for the maiden edition of the 2011 rLG Ghana Grand Prix, according to the organizers. According to the Ghana Athletics Association, they will be joined by 50 local athletes who were selected from the recent National Unity Games in Accra.