About 100 athletes from around the world are expected to storm the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi on Saturday, August 6 to compete in the first ever Ghana Athletics Grand Prix. The event, which is under the auspices of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) and rLG Communications and has been dubbed “2011 RLG Ghana Grand Prix”, will see the athletes compete for honours in both track and field events. Professor Francis Dodoo, President of the GAA at the launching of the 2011 rLG Grand Prix, in Accra said 30 foreign athletes from France, Jamaica, United States of America (USA), Uganda, United Kingdom, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Benin have confirmed their participation in the event. He said the foreign athletes will face stiff opposition from 20 other foreign based Ghanaian athletes and 40 other locally based athletes to ensure a keen competition. The athletes will compete in eight events; 4x100 Relay, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Putt, 100, 200, 1500 and 3000 metres, as well as 100 metres (women) and 110 metres hurdles (men), 60 metres for children and 60 metres event for the media. Prof. Dodoo said the event will enable younger Ghanaian athletes to rub shoulders with the best in the world, and also afford athletics enthusiasts the opportunity to meet their international idols. According to Prof. Dodoo, the introduction of the event also forms part of the strategic development plan initiated by the GAA, the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to revive athletics in the country. He said some Ghanaian athletes are currently training in Finland and are expected home on the first week of August, to participate in the competition and was confident that the exercise in Finland will transform them into quality athletes. Professor Dodoo announced that there will be attractive prize monies and medals for the first to third positions in each event, but added that the prize monies would be based on event classifications. He added that there will be a special prize for the men and women’s relay teams. Source: GNA