Benson Tongo Baba, the president of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), has called for support from local companies to provide funds for London 2012 and other major events along the road, including the Youth Olympics in Singapore and Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year and the All Africa Games in Maputo in 2011.

 

He said: “The aim of this initiative is to mobilise  resources for future Games beginning 2010.
 

“We are also urging Ghanaians in the Diaspora to respond to our clarion call.”
 

Nii Nortey Dua, the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, also appealed to firms to back the sponsorship appeal and promised tax relief for any companies that signed up.

 

Ghana made its debut in the Olympics at Helsinki in 1952, when it was known by its colonial name of Gold Coast.

Since then it has competed in most Games, although it missed Melbourne 1956 and boycotted the 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Ghanaian athletes have won a total of four Olympics medals, three in boxing, and a bronze medal in football at Barcelona 1992.

But it is still searching for its first gold medal.