The name Ignisious Gaisah has different meanings for many in Ghanaian sports circles.
Now in his 40s, Gaisah could be your brother, your friend or the Ghanaian long jump champion who later chose to represent the Netherlands. But for this writer, Anthony Ignisious Gaisah Essuman is the man who almost inspired me to become a long jumper.
That’s how important he is to me. So when I finally got the chance to sit down for an interview with him shortly before the start of the 13th African Games in Accra, you can only imagine the level of excitement I felt afterwards.
Although every person has the right to choose their future path, one cannot help but wonder why someone would leave their country to represent another. But there were key factors. one of the main ones he feels underestimated by his own people.
Even Jesus Christ once spoke of prophets not being honored in their own town. “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his own country” (Luke 4:24).
JUMP HIGH FOR RED, GOLD, GREEN WITH BLACK STAR
When he turned 16, he took up athletics, a sport his mother had briefly dabbled in at a time when sport and family life were considered incompatible.
It didn’t take long for the teenager to gain attention. He long jumped at least 7.30 meters and then grabbed the national title in 1999 with a long jump of 7.40 meters which earned him a place in the national team for the African Junior Championships.
At the African Juniors in Tunis, he jumped a distance of 7.42 meters to win a bronze medal in the long jump.
Gaisah’s journey in the sport has been marked by steady growth, culminating in international recognition in 2002 when he broke the African junior record with an impressive 8.12m.
The following year, he stunned the world with his performance at the 2003 World Championships in the long jump, coming tantalizingly close to the podium until the “big bosses” intervened in the fourth round, changing the course of the race.
After securing fourth place in Paris with a jump of 8.13m, Gaisah continued to raise the bar. He cleared a national record of 8.26m to claim third place at the World Athletics Final in September before adding another 4cm to his best for a huge win at the Pan African Games, 38cm ahead of his nearest rival.
Gaisah finished sixth at the 2004 Athens Olympics with a jump of 8.24m and would return to the World Championships to win silver in Helsinki, Finland with 8.34m.
2006 is perhaps the best in the career of the Dutch born in Ghana. He won gold at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow (8.30m), the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (8.20m) and the African Championships held in Mauritius (8.51 with wind).
She would be off the podium for the next four years, making a big comeback at the 2010 Commonwealth Games where she won bronze in Delhi, India with 8.12m. He won the silver medal at the 2011 Pan African Games in Mozambique.
![](https://citisportsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Gaisah-Commonwealth-Games.jpg)
![](https://citisportsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Gaisah-Commonwealth-Games.jpg)
Gaisah then won his last medal in Ghanaian colors jumping 7.73m to win bronze in Porto Novo, Benin at the African Championships before switching nationality.
THE BIG SWITCH
Gaisah achieved remarkable success during his 13-year stint competing for the West African nation, securing gold medals at the 2003 All-Africa Games.
He further cemented his legacy by winning a hat-trick of gold medals in 2006, triumphing at the World Indoor Athletics, Commonwealth Games and African Championships.
However, in 2013, Gaisah wrote an emotional letter to the Ghana Athletics Association expressing his decision to stop playing for Ghana. Shortly after, he represented the Netherlands at the 2013 World Championships, where he won a silver medal.
“I have been in the Netherlands since 2001 and this has been my second home. I served Ghana from 1999 until the 2012 London Olympics. But I realized I was old and I have my family there, so why should I continue to play for Ghana, so that was the main reason why I changed my nationality.” he said when asked about the decision to stop representing the country of his birth.
“It wasn’t difficult to represent the Netherlands because I’ve lived there since 2001 and that’s how I feel Dutch.” he added.
Another reason for changing his nationality from Ghana to the Netherlands, according to him, was the fact that there was little or no support from his country of birth to help develop the sport.
“The fans have always been supportive, but the big boys out there haven’t been supportive. As athletes, we always finance ourselves and when we come back, the country gives us nothing.” he said.
However, by the time he made the switch, he was past his prime, although he won a few medals for the Netherlands.
![](https://citisportsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Gaisah-Dutch.jpg)
![](https://citisportsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Gaisah-Dutch.jpg)
He jumped 8.29m to win silver at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and then in front of his second country’s home crowd, won a bronze medal at the European Championships hosted in Amsterdam.
AKWABA, IGGY
“A man must follow his dream, but never forget where he comes from. I’m here to influence my knowledge and so yes, I’m back and I’m glad I’m back home. The call up to coach Ghana was in January and I was happy and ready to go back to help the country of my birth.” Gaisah when asked why he decided to help Ghana during the 13u African Games.
The Dutchman was one of eight coaches tasked by the Ghana athletics team to guide the athletes to the podium at the 13u African Games held in the West African country from March 8 to March 23, 2024.
For Ignisious Gaisah, he was tasked with the long jump and high jump, to some extent, and in the end, he and his coaching staff delivered the goods for Ghana. Bringing back three gold medals, two silver and one bronze is definitely a step in the right direction for the country.
I watched from close range as Cadman Evans Yamoah cruised to gold in the men’s high jump final. You could tell from the joy on Gaisah’s face what it meant to him to see his countryman win a gold medal in a sport that Ghana rarely scores highly.
“Hard work pays off. I am so happy that this young man [Cadman Yamoah] it makes us all proud and these are the events athletes train for. I am grateful to be a part of this historic moment.” she said as we shared a hug.
These are the achievements any man would dream of: winning gold for your country and leading others to victory.
For Ignisious Gaisah, now a track and field coach at his second home in the Netherlands, every moment is precious, especially if his athletes secure a gold medal.
While his days as an athlete are behind him, his experience remains relevant and invaluable and Ghana would do well to tap into that treasure.