Olympic gold medallist Powell shows support for Ghana’s hosting of African Para Games

Olympic and world champion sprinter Asafa Powell has pledged his support for Ghana’s planned hosting of the African Para Games.

The Games, scheduled to take place from September 3 to 12 in the country’s capital city Accra, are due to be the inaugural edition.

Powell, who was part of Jamaica’s 4×100 metres relay team that won Rio 2016 gold, commended the African Paralympic Committee President Samson Deen.

He praised his efforts in making Paralympic sport a focus on the continent by giving athletes the chance to compete at the event.

Deen told Powell that he is eager to work with him to promote the #WalkInMyShoe project which is a digital campaign aiming to bridge the gap between people with disabilities and those without.

President of Ghana’s National Olympic Committee Ben Nunoo Mensah was also present at the meeting which focused on the developing Parasport promotion in Africa.

Powell was also in the triumphant relay quartets at the Berlin 2009 and Beijing 2015 World Championships.

The 40-year-old also picked up individual and relay titles in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games 100m events.

The Games are set to feature 36 countries competing in athletics, powerlifting, volleyball, goalball, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, and amputee football.

The host nation has budgeted $8.5 million (£7 million/€7.9 million) to stage the event, with the funding coming from media rights, sponsorship, and the Government.

The event was originally due to take place after the Accra 2023 African Games, which was scheduled for August 4 to 19 but has now been postponed.

New dates have been set for March 8 to 23 next year as Ghana is caught in a severe economic crisis.

Prior to the postponement, former Ghana President John Mahama led calls for the cancellation of the event, although Ofosu Asare claimed in response that it would cost Ghana just as much not to host the Games as it will to stage them.