Disabled Wheelchair Basketball competition opens

Kumasi, Feb. 15, GNA - A two-day competition to select national men and women's wheelchair basketball teams aimed at grooming them to bring honours to the nation opened in Kumasi on Friday. Over 200 physically challenged persons and coaches from across the country are participating in the competition which is being organized by the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD) and sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Mr. John Mullenax, USAID/Ghana Economic Growth Deputy Officer, who addressed the opening ceremony, noted that the Society has been a leader of disabled sports who have championed the Ghana Amputee Soccer Team's victory at the first Africa Nations Cup in Sierra Leone last year. He said that the Society which has over 9,000 active members nation wide, has the needed expertise and organizational structure to keep the members closely in touch and to be mobilized for sporting activities. Mr. Mullenax said he was optimistic that the competition would bring to the fore talented players who can capably participate and win many international tournaments for the nation and champion the contributions of disabled sports men and women to Ghana's development. Mr. Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, the Ashanti Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, emphasised that people with disabilities have valuable contributions to make towards nation building when given the needed support and opportunity.
He said the government was therefore prepared to support them and was working hard to avoid negative tendencies that people might have against the physically challenged.
Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive expressed her happiness with the increasing number of members of the Society in their activities and stressed that she has openly declared her office, which has been described as unfriendly to the Disabled, as fully friendly to all members.
Mr Joseph Adu-Boampong, National President of GSPD commended the leadership and the entire membership of the sports wing of the Society for their initiatives and urged them to keep it up. Mr Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, Chairman of the Sports Wing of the Society in a welcome address expressed his appreciation to USAID for granting the Society an amount of 95,000 dollars which has contributed to the organization of the competition. In the opening match, the Eastern Region's men's team spanked their Central Region counterparts 10-0 whilst their women's team also beat their competitors from the Central Region 2-0.