Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt, Lt. Gen. Obed Boamah Akwah (Rtd), donated $1,000 to support the Ghana Amputee National team, the Black Challenge, on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
The Ambassador was accompanied by the Head of Chancery, Mr. Sevor Selasi, the Economic and Cultural Secretary, Mr. Keven Selasi, and the Protocol Assistant, Alhaji Abass Basawutey.
Mr Akwah’s support was aimed at motivating the Amputee Team to defend the AAFCON 2024 Title in Egypt.
Despite winning two trophies for Ghana, including the recent 1st African Para Games in Accra, the Black Challenge are yet to be adequately compensated. The lack of support from the government has affected their motivation and ability to perform at their best for Ghana, even though they have already beaten Gambia 4-0, Algeria 5-0, Kenya 2-1, and Tanzania 4-1 en route to the AAFCON semi-final.
Captain Richard Arthur Opentil expressed gratitude to the Ambassador and lamented the Government’s neglect on their side.
Despite winning two trophies for Ghana, we are yet to be adequately compensated. This lack of support from the government has affected our motivation and our ability to perform at our best in Ghana, he said.
Before the AAFCON Tournament, in an exclusive interview with Univers Sports on Tuesday 27 February 2024, the Techincal Director of the team and former Ghanaian Goalkeeper, Mr. Ali Jaara, pleaded with the Government to provide all necessary resources needed by the team to prepare ahead of their AFCON tournament.
We are calling on the Ministry to fulfill all promises to the team. We have a tournament in April which will also serve as a qualification for the 2024 World Cup, due to inadequate funds we have not started camping yet. We have sent our budget to authorities but we have not heard anything from them yet. We are pleading with the Government to come to our aid else we can’t prepare adequately for the AFCON in Egypt, he said.
But that had not been the case as the captain of the Black Challenge, Richard Arthur, expressed the team’s dismay with the government of Ghana for the lack of support, but demonstrated gratitude to the President of the NPC Ghana and the African Paralympic Committee, Mr. Samson Deen,
We we disappointed in the government, Opentsil said.
But we are motivated and work to honor the President of the NPC Ghana and the African Paralympic Committee, Mr. Samson Deen, as he has provided for all the needs with the support of the Amputee Football Chairman, Mr. Foster Kwarteng.
Ghana is set to face Algeria in the semi-final of the AAFCON Tournament on Saturday, 25 May 2024 at the Petrol Sports Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, in their pursuit of defending the coveted trophy persists.
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Story by: Rabbi Adu Agyei| univers.edu.gh
