By Rihana Adam
Accra, Nov. 7, GNA – Mr. Samson Deen President of the Africa Paralympic Committee (APC) and National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Ghana has commended government for its support for the team that participated in the 2022 Cairo African Open Para Powerlifting Championship.
The national para-powerlifting team, the Black Optimist of Ghana presented four athletes at the recent World Para Powerlifting Organisation (WPPO) tournament held in Egypt recently.
This year’s event was organised under the auspices of the WPPO and the Egyptian Paralympics Committee and served as a qualification mark for the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympics games to be hosted in Paris, France.
Countries like United States America, Colombia, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Ghana participated in the competition.
Speaking at a presentation ceremony, Mr. Mustapha Ussif the Minister for Youth and Sports, the APC president expressed gratitude to the government and individuals who supported them with funds for the purchase of equipment.
He said, “I am here to inform you, the team that you supported went to Cairo with four athletes to make an automatic qualification mark, we are most grateful for the support.
“When the team needed bench for training, the government supported us with 30,000 Euros to buy the bench today it has yielded positive results.
“We had Patricia Nyamekye, winner as the current African record holder with a lift of 91kg after dethroning the previous record holder, a Nigerian with 75kg who held that record for four years.
Oku Emmanuel Nii Tettey also placed second with a lift of 175kg by winning silver medal for Ghana and African, currently ranked fourth in Africa when it comes to 75kg weight category.
The President said “Haruna Tahiru pulled a surprised by lifting 205kg in the 107kg category weight while Isaac Obeng first timer won a bronze medal with a lift 140kg”.
He stated that Ghana would be hosting para games come next year and therefore the para community needs more sponsors from government and corporate bodies.
“Ghana would be hosting its first ever para games 2023 so we are pleading with the government to support us with one percent of the money they use to sponsor the senior national football team and we shall do host and win for the country”.
He appealed to the media to use their various platform in promoting para sports compared to football.
GNA