Asafa Powell, a well-known Jamaican sprinter, has eulogized to Aziz Zakari, a former sprinter from Ghana.
Aziz Zakari was hailed by Asafa Powell as “one of the great” sprinters of his generation who literally gave him a run for his money.
Asafa Powell relived the time he spent competing against Aziz Zakari in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV.
When Asafa Powell made a reference to Aziz Zakari, he was discussing the lack of athletics facilities in the nation.
He asserts that because Ghana is known for producing excellent athletes, it must perform well in order to secure the necessary training facilities.
“To be honest, I’m very disappointed. You guys had excellent sprinters back in the day. I remember competing against Aziz Zakari. When I went to the field and heard that I was going to compete with I will go like this guy was coming to pressure me. He was one of those great sprinters so coming here and not seeing the real professional track is very disappointing. What if I came here and I wanted to come to work out or something? This is an area that Ghana needs to improve,” he said.
Asafa Powell who is married to a Ghanaian was in the country for a 10-day working tour, facilitated by the Ghana Olympic Committee.
He disclosed during the interview some of his children have taken interest in athletics and that he will not be a hindrance to the wishes of any of them to compete under the Jamaican flag instead of Ghana.
Aziz Zakari
Aziz Zakari represented Ghana at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
He won silver and bronze at the World athletics final.
He was also a bronze medalist at the All-African Games and a two-time gold medalist at the African Championship.