CANAF 2013: Black Challenge fly out to Kenya

Having finally got their budget approved by the Sports Ministry, even if the money is not in hand, Ghana’s amputee national team are due to fly out of the country to Kenya early Thursday morning in order to make their opening fixture of the 2013 Cup of Africa Nations for Amputee Football (CANAF 2013) come Saturday.

After weeks of persistent requests for the necessary funds for the side to honour their participation at the tournament which’s last edition this country hosted in 2011, they finally got the budget approval letter signed by Deputy Sports Minister, Hon. Joseph Yamin on November 28 but which the Ghana Amputee Football Association (GAFA) only received on Tuesday December 3. Even then, the physical cash has yet to be ready meaning GAFA have to arrange al by themselves for pre-financing of the trip to the tournament which kicks off on Thursday.

But Rev. Richard Nii Amartey Adesah, GAFA Chairman tells Sportsinghana.com players and officials of the Black Challenge are ‘tough-skinned’ enough to rather focus and concentrate on winning the ultimate in Kenya despite their dire circumstances.

“It’s natural that the players will be affected but fortunately or unfortunately, we live in a country where they are used to frustrations because this has almost always been the norm with amputee football. I ask where the motivation is but thanks to God we have psyched the players and as a Minister (of religion) I always encourage them with biblical examples so they are ready to go and win the cup and bring it to Ghana,” Rev. Adesah told www.sportsinghana.com exclusively at the Ghana FA’s offices in Accra.

But even as he promises a Ghana triumph in Kenya, the amputee football chief insists circumstances that led to the late approval of the team’s budget by the Ministry of Sports needs to be examined thoroughly in order to be avoided in future.

“Liberia are already there, others are also there, Kenya have been waiting. We hosted this tournament two years ago and it’s the name of our late President Atta Mills on the trophy so we already knew and this was already in the budget,” he stated.

He added: “When we return, we need to seriously make our case even if it means we have to see the President himself, if that’s what will ensure we are not treated like this again in future. We also appeal to the President to pay closer attention to help and support in terms of motivation.”