By Rihana Adam
Accra, Feb. 25, GNA – Mr. Mustapha Ussif, Minister of Youth and Sports (MOYS) has inaugurated a ten-member Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the first-ever Africa Para Games to be staged in Ghana.
Mr. Ussif who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Yagaba-Kubori Constituency also commissioned the modern secretariat of the African Paralympic Committee (AFPC)/ National Para Committee (NPC) Ghana and unveiled the logo for the games at North Ridge, Accra.
He swore in the ten-member committee chaired by Mr. Chris Boadi-Mensah to supervise Ghana’s preparations towards a successful hosting of the games.
The rest of the committee members including Dr. Bella Bello Bitigu, (Director of Sports), Julian Addo-Yobo (Director Legal), Reks Brobbey (Director of Operations), Henry Tachie-Mensah (Service Director), Saddick Adams (Communications), Gifty Afia Oware Aboagye (Director of Marketing), Osman Ali (Director of Finance), Eric Kissi (Member of NPC Ghana) and Mr. Hayat Kaitab (Member of APC).
He said, “I have no doubt that the Chairman and his members of the LOC would do their maximum best to mobilize all the resources required for the nation to successfully host the thousands of athletes, coaches and team officials from all the 55 nations in Africa as well as hundreds of dignitaries and volunteers from the rest of the world in Ghana, as a test event for the 13th African Games in 2024”.
He added that “Regional Games of this magnitude could not be successfully planned, implemented and delivered without the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, institutions, organisations, partners, sponsors, philanthropists and individuals”.
“Therefore, I am hereby inviting all and sundry to join the MOYS as we seek to make history by delivering a memorable first-ever Africa Para Games in the annals of African Para Sports and the Paralympic Movement in Africa.”
Mr. Samson Deen, President APC and NPC whose initiative and proposal for Ghana to host the event was backed by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Akuffo Addo expressed that the African Para Games, Accra 2023, is aimed at providing African Para Athletes a word class, multi-sport event on the African soil, which others have enjoyed since the inception. Of the All-African Games in 1965”.
The 2023 African Para Games is scheduled for 3-12 September 2023.
GNA