Aziz Zakari resists call for retirement
After a false start in the 100m finals at the International Association of Athletics Federations Continental Cup in Croatia last weekend, Ghanaian sprinter Aziz Zakari has come under heavy criticism and calls for the 34-year-old to retire.
“It is clear to me and it is obvious that the likes of Zakari are over the hill,” said analyst Karl Tuffuor. “I personally have had major problems with him ever since he failed the drugs test. If I had my way he wouldn’t be running for Ghana."
Tuffuor was referring to a failed drug test in 2006 at the IAAF Grand Prix Meeting in Dakar where Zakari was found to have stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, in his system. The IAAF suspended him for two years, but he was eligible in time to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Zakari is not taking the suggestion to retire lightly, but nor is he considering actually retiring.
“The point is that nobody can retire me. I can retire myself whenever I want to retire,” said Zakari. “If Ghana chooses not to let me run for the nation that is fine, I can still go to Europe to run.”
Zakari made it to the quarter-finals in the 2008 Olympics, but finished fifth in that race with a time of 10.24 seconds. In the 2004 Olympics in Athens he made it all the way to the finals, but wasn’t able to finish the race after pulling a muscle. His personal best time is 9.99, achieved in 2005.
He is now looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi where he hopes to silence naysayers with a strong performance and make up that the false start in Croatia.
“I am just really disappointed with myself again that I had a false start," said Zakari.
Earlier this year in Nairobi at the African Championships in Athletics, he took silver in the 100m with a time of 10.12. In 2000, Zakair won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay in the African Championships. He also won silver in the 100m at the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Final, and bronze in the 2004 World Athletics Final.
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