INTERVIEW: Q&A With UK-based Ghanaian Weightlifter Forrester Osei, His Preparations towards The Olympic Games

In our aim and ambition to offer every sporting discipline our platform. We decided to bring the preparations of Ghana’s top weightlifter, Forrester Osei who has promised to win a medal at the world’s biggest Sports festival in Tokyo, Japan.

Ghana’s fastest growing online portal Ghsportsnews.com (GSN) had a one on one with Forrester Osei

(FO) currently Ranked 2nd in 89kg category by Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation and first in Ghana, spoke about his Preparations towards the Tokyo Olympic Games, Ghana Chances in this year’s Olympic games, what motivate him to become a weightlifter and how we can develop the sport in Ghana.

GSN: How are you been coping up in United Kingdom with the Covid-19?

FO: Frankly, it has been hard! Our lives have completely changed and things don’t seems to be getting back to the norm anytime soon. Many have lost their love one’s within the past year and it is heart breaking.UK is one of the nations; which has been drastically affected by virus covid-19. With the death counts now at 100 thousand. The UK government has implemented many protocols to help battle against the transmission. This protocols has forced all national and private training facilities into closure. resulting to make-shift training regime to help myself maintain my motivation and strength leading into this summer games Tokyo 2021.

GNS: What Motivate you to become a weightlifter? And what sport were you doing before you join Weightlifting?

FO: My motivation has always been my drive to excel in whatever I do, to the be the best version of myself everyday! To become a weightlifter, I had the vision of reigning the title of the Ghana’s national top weightlifter and Strongest. So I work hard for that vision to become a reality.
In 2015; I attained my position on Ghana’s national team and the many tittles which came along with it later due to my hard work. The rigorous training and tough competitive environment prescribed by American Football was a requisite of sporting discipline of high physical and mental aptitude fundamental for the sport of Olympic weightlifting; which made my transition into the sport easy for me.

GSN: How are you preparing towards the Olympic Games?

FO: I started my season well beginning of last year, with a training camp in Kazakhstan; before I had to the return to the UK due to border closure and also lack of support from our national federation and NOC. But I believe that I ready and will be prepared leading into my next championship and also the summer games regardless of thedisruption and postponement of the final qualifier which is reschedule for the 1st-8thApril. My makeshift equipment’s and training regime is helping me reenforce the foundational techniques which will allow me to jump straight back into action once training facilities resume their services.

GSN: Ghana is yet to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting. How do you see Ghana Chances in this year’s Olympic games?

FO: The prospect of Ghana winning an Olympic medal in the sport of Olympic weightlifting is likely to happen soon in the near future; but if I am to be honest we can’t achieve that; at this current point due to the lack of support and inadequate training equipment within Ghana. It take many years of planning and preparation for any athlete to reign the title as a world champion or an Olympic champion. Firstly; we have to revisit our developmentprogram; learn to nurture our young talents through national development programs and ensure athletes wellbeing is at the forefront of all national bodies; federations, NOC and the ministry of youth and sport’s agenda.

GSN: You were ranked 2nd in 89kgcategory by Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, how was the feelings when you heard the news?

FO: I was elated to see that my hard was paying-off. I intend to continue my effort in achieving my goals and also impact the younger generation through my sport as an exemplify role model.

GSN: You Compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, can you assure Ghanaian’s of a medal this time around?

FO: Unfortunately I was unable compete in the 2016 Rio games due to many reasons of which I do not want to revisit; but I can assure Ghana that I believe in myself leading into the Tokyo2021 games. I believe with the adequate support and preparation I am be most likely to returnback from the games with a medal. I believe we can achieve the same results across all sporting discipline of which we are able to qualify and have representative for Ghana.

GSN: You won three Silver medal at Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) Weightlifting Championship in Uzbekistan, dough you didn’t get enough preparations, how do you make it?

FO: I was only able to achieve the medals by the will power and favour of GOD. My achievement at the ISSF championship was also the results of my self founding training camps during the late of December of 2019 in Qatar. It goes to show that given the correct environment to focus on my training and preparation for any major championship the yield will be favourable.

GSN: You target for the 2023 All African Games to be hosted in Ghana?

FO: Given the opportunity, my target for 2023 is to win the Gold in my respective category on my home soil Ghana. As the hosting nation, I aim to make my family and nation proud on the day of competition.

GSN: How can we develop the sport (Weightlifting) in Ghana going forward?

FO: I believe for the sport of Olympic weightlifting to grow, the sports need to be more accessible to the youth of Ghana. At the moment we only have one training facility which is based in the capital, Accra national sport stadium. I firmly believe by now we should have multiple facilities around the country exposing our youth to the various sporting discipline emphasising on youth development in the sports of weightlifting. We need to remember the youth of our nation is the future and this calls for major investment around the entirety of our Ghana and just in the capital. This in return will help raise our national standard and progressively to a world medallist