Ghana to participate in World Dwarf Games

Accra, June 17, GNA - Ghana will make her maiden appearance at the World Dwarf Games to be staged in Bellfast, Northern Ireland this year. The Games, which is meant for dwarf looking people across the globe is to be organized by the Dwarf Athletic Association (DAA) with the National Dwarf Team of Ghana making her maiden appearance.

The Games, scheduled for July 28 to August 8, will see Ghana participating in football, track and field events and table tennis. About 15 countries including, United States America (USA), Russia, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Benin, Nigeria, Ireland, Turkey, Denmark and Northern Ireland are participating in the event.

Ghana's participation is being facilitated by 'Friends of the Physically Challenged Foundation' headed by Mr Daniel Arhin. The Foundation early this week commenced a justify-your-inclusion exercise for people with dwarfish features in of assembling a formidable team for the Games.

The exercise was attended by 21 dwarf looking people including two women drawn from various parts of the country. They trained in football, athletics, pole vault and shot putt among other sporting disciplines as part of the preparations towards the Games.

Mr Arhin who briefed the GNA Sports in Accra on the programme said that the initiative is meant to clear the negative public perception about people with such disabilities.

According to Mr Arhin, people with dwarfish looking features are not strange but are like any ordinary human beings hence the need to find effective ways of integrating them into the society.

Mr Arhin noted that the initiative will also help people with such features to make good use of their leisure time and talents whilst those on the streets will now use their talents for the benefit of the nation. He therefore called for a collective support to enable the Foundation see to the smooth participation of the National Dwarf Team at the Games.

Mr Arhin has for the past years used sports as a tool for mobilizing people with various disabilities. He single handedly sponsored the National Amputee team to participate in various international games. The previous hosts of this prestigious event were Chicago, USA (1993), England (1997), Canada (2001) and France (2005) 17 June 09