GHANAIANS BEGGED NOT TO UNDERVALUE DISABILITY SPORTS

Tanga Stars in fierce battle with Northern Strikers in a Basket Ball Championship in Bolgatanga.

Proud promoters of disability sports have intensified pleas for Ghanaians to accord persons with disabilities (PWDs) the same scale of backing that has been accessible to the able-bodied section of the citizenry.  

Championing the plea, Mr. Awal Ahmed, who is the Project Manager of the Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment Ghana (RISE Ghana), in an interview with Correspondent Edward Adeti in Bolgatanga described the manner in which disability sports were being handled in the country as “disappointing.”

“We do not get much sponsorship for Persons with Disabilities Sports from State and private entities and people don’t patrionise even when the events are free. People don’t know that persons with disabilities, ironically, can exhibit wonderful sporting skills. Some sections of the media are not giving us the needed publicity to generate the public interest,” bewailed Mr. Ahmed.

He granted the interview at the close of a one-day sporting event that knotted both the Upper East and the Northern Regions together in a competitive search for medals. The event, sponsored by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), forms part of a RISE Ghana’s scheme dubbed: “We Know Sports: PWDs in Active Sports Project”. 

The select teams from the two regions—the Tanga Stars (from the Upper East Region) and the Northern Strikers (from the Northern Region) — flexed muscles in basketball, javelin, the discus and the shot put.  

Sporting exposure is one of the few avenues through PWDs could express themselves and contribute meaningfully to personal and national developments, according to the Project Manager, who also expressed fears that a denial of that exposure could rob the nation of wells of wealth. 

“When we went for the Olympic Games recently, there was one person with disability called Allen Moomin. He was able to win a gold medal and he’s the seventh best in the world. So, there are talents in persons with disabilities; we only need to give them the avenues to explore these talents for the betterment of the whole country,” he stressed. 

RISE Ghana is on a mission to promote disability sports, human rights and inclusive development for PWDs. As Mr. Ahmed put it, the organisation “is committed to ensuring that their [PWDs’] views are represented in mainstream development.” 

Plans are boiling in the pipeline to bring PWDs, politicians and other major stakeholders on the same platform to iron out issues bothering the disadvantaged side, he hinted. 

Some of the issues atop the agenda in the upcoming engagement meetings will look at disability-unfriendly structures as well as accessibility of campaign manifestoes to PWDs. 

He was full of gratitude to the AusAID, the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD Ghana) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for showing practical interest in supporting RISE Ghana to accomplish its mission. 

The event, which attracted pupils from basic schools surrounding the Ramsey Sports Stadium in Bolgatanga and some passers-by, ended with the Upper East clinching nine medals (3 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze) whilst the champions, the Northern Region, jubilated back home with eleven medals (5 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze). 

Mr. Abu Issaka, Bolgatanga Municipal Public Relations Officer of Society for the Physically Challenged, who also took part in the event showered praises on the organisers and sponsors whilst echoing the earlier plea made by Mr. Ahmed to encourage disability sports through the same amount of attention and publicity comparable to able-bodied sporting events.