Asafa Powell, a legendary international athlete born in Jamaica, has been confirmed by the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) to visit Ghana from February 27 through March 9, 2023.
Asafa Asafa, a former 100-meter sprint world record holder who is married to Ghanaian model Alyshia Powell, will be joined by their two kids.
Powell, a native of Spanish Town, Jamaica, will visit the West African nation for the first time at the Ghana Olympic Committee’s request (GOC).
Between June 2005 and May 2008, he twice broke the 100-meter world record with speeds of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds.
The powerful sprinter has never finished a race in more than 10 seconds, and his best time of 9.72 seconds places him in fourth position overall among men who have run the 100-meter distance.
On September 1, 2016, Powell was given the distinction of having broken the 10-second barrier the most times of any athlete: “97 times.”
On May 27, 2010, at Ostrava, Czech Republic, Powell also established the world record for the 100-yard dash with a speed of 9.09 seconds.
He added a gold medal to his collection at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil in the 4 x 100-meter relay.
The GOC President, Mr. Ben Nunoo Mensah, has announced that the 40-year-old will take part in a number of charitable and social endeavors while in Ghana, which will be reported on by both domestic and foreign media.
“Asafa will pay a courtesy call on H.E. the President of the Republic at the Jubilee House and also engage the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS), the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), the Local Organising Committee of the African Games in Accra in 2023, as well as the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) on how best Ghana sports can benefit from his huge image on the international sports arena.”
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, the GOC’s director of communications, said that the GOC had meticulously planned out these operations.
“Asafa’s visit is aimed at inspiring, motivating, and promoting the development of athletics and the interest of our youth in the sport.”
Besides from enhancing links between Ghana and Jamaica, Asafa will also tour senior and junior high schools, sports venues being built for the upcoming All African Games, which will be held in Accra, and hold a number of sports clinics.
