Accra, Sept.12, GNA- The Badminton Association of Ghana (BAG) has paid tribute to Mr. Emmanuel Affaidu, a veteran Badminton player who died on July 9, after having his last serve of the game.
The 59-year-old fainted during the 2022 All Badminton Open Championship at the Bukom Boxing Arena in July and could not survive after he was rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
BAG in the tribute said, “It is an honour to write this tribute to Ebenezer Affaidu, a friend, colleague, player, teacher, coach, educational administrator, husband, father, and son to the national governing body of the sport of Badminton in Ghana. In our opulence role we knew him, from whatever vantage point; he stood apart as someone special.”
“The national body of the sport of Badminton first encountered him, at the mid-stage of his career in education and sports administration some thirty years ago, at the University of Cape Coast with our foremost Rev Graham of Agona Abodom Methodist Church.”It said
According to the association, “His special leadership abilities and charismatic personality were readily apparent! Our first encounter with him marked the beginning of our longstanding professional friendship and badminton collaboration and enabled coaching for his players at Swedru School of Business to nurture an intent of establishing a Badminton Court at Ajumako Mando, in the Central Region of Ghana”.
It further described him as someone who was very passionate about growing the sport in the various schools, thereby championing the campaign in the Central Regions to get others involved as he led in the Badminton in Schools Shuttle Time Project in 2018.
BAG expressed their heartfelt sorrow having lost a huge figure in the Badminton sport.
“We have lost a huge person to our sport and all of you here that you have long recognised sport’s wider responsibility to society and its ability to drive social change, which Affaidu teaches us, at all times-even to the extent of dying on the sport.”
It further described Mr. Affaidu as a determined, visionary, collaborative, goal-oriented, caring person who loved life and all that it offered and a transformational leader and change agent who had great dreams of what sport could be for his society.
“Lastly, our confidant, counsellor, and hero is no more with us. Nonetheless, we are in tandem with Martha that “he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24). You danced in the midst of the storm with grace. Well done for a good job for all of us. Today, we admire and celebrate a life well lived, a desire for God worth cherishing, a generous spirit worth emulating, and a love for the family without boundaries.” stated
Mr. Emmanuel Affaidu helped develop the Badminton sport in his 30 years of stay and affected many lives.
Even though he specialised in the field of education, he tried to create more awareness on the sports in his specialty, having groomed many young talents who now represent Ghana at the International front.
The funeral of the late Mr Emmanuel Affaidu would be held on Saturday, October 1, at Bethesda Methodist Church, Agona Swedru in the Central Region of Ghana.
GNA