{"id":405220,"date":"2018-02-28T11:28:26","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T11:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=405220"},"modified":"2018-03-01T10:25:08","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T10:25:08","slug":"hor-halutie-making-ghanas-next-sprint-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/02\/hor-halutie-making-ghanas-next-sprint-queen\/","title":{"rendered":"Hor Halutie: The making of Ghana\u2019s next sprint queen"},"content":{"rendered":"
Citi Sports\u2019 Fentuo Tahiru has been following the Ghana Athletics Association\u2019s Circuit Championships and he puts down his thoughts on Hor Halutie and her amazing journey up the Ghanaian sprint ladder.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n At around 11am, the blazing sun inside the Cape Coast Stadium was approaching the epicenter. And while fans in the stands were insouciant about the unforgivable blazing rays, thanks to the giant roof over their heads, the athletes along the running tracks snarled in search of the slightest hint of shade.<\/p>\n One of those was 18-year old 100m runner, Hor Halutie.<\/p>\n She was tucked away in a small corner, slightly withdrawn from the rest of the crowd, hands in tracksuit pocket, seated and leaning against the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cMy main focus is to reduce my time,\u201d she told me.<\/p>\n The men\u2019s 100m Heats were in progress and the announcer had called on the women to get ready. This was Halutie getting ready; zoned out of the crowd, nervously focused, but mightily confident.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I had faster runners in the race. People who have run faster times than me before, going shoulder to shoulder. That will help me push harder,\u201d she said when I asked how she intended to make better times.<\/p>\n It was an admission that revealed two things about her: she is fully aware of how good she is compared to her peers locally, and she knows better competition will do a great deal for her development.<\/p>\n But Halutie has not always been aware of her potential neither did she possess promise, at least not from the start anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was a typical village runner. Her hands and legs were all over the place. She had no shoes on, had no technique and finished 4th<\/sup>\u00a0in her race.\u201d<\/p>\n Anselm Nyavedzi, Physical Education Teacher at T.I. Ahmadiya Senior High School in the Ashanti Region, recalls when he first saw Hor Halutie run in Ho.<\/p>\n This was back in 2014 when Halutie, then only 14, represented the Upper West Region in the Inter-Regional Basic Schools Athletics Competition in the Volta Regional capital.<\/p>\n Nyavedzi was scouting for talent for AMASS, a school so famously known for their strong athletics program.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was something about her. She had the right height and looked determined. I liked the fire in her eyes. Although she finished 4th<\/sup>, I could see she put everything into the race.<\/p>\n \u201cShe gave it her all. And that\u2019s why I knew she had the right attitude to succeed,\u201d Nyavedzi said when asked why he chose her despite her abysmal performance in that race.<\/p>\n