Six countries confirm participation in Amputees Nations Cup

Accra, June 1, GNA - Six countries have so far confirmed their participation in the 3rd Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football (CANAF) scheduled for 15-25 October, 2011 in Accra. The confirmed countries alongside hosts Ghana are Angola, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Francis Adjetey Sowah, President of the Amputee Football Federation of Africa (AFFA) who said this at the media launch of the tournament said 12 teams are originally billed to participate. He said the continental body is awaiting the confirmation of countries such as Algeria, DR Congo, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda and South Africa to plan for the organization of the tournament. Adjetey Sowah, who doubles as President of the Ghana Amputee Football Federation (GAFF) said the theme for the tournament 93Let's be passionate about our passion" was appropriately chosen in recognition of Ghanaians passion for the world's most popular sport. "Football is our passion and disability is no barrier to expressing this passion," he said. The President said hosting the tournament comes with a huge logistic and financial burden and therefore appealed to individuals and corporate institutions to support Government to achieve the objectives of hosting a successful tournament. The AFFA President noted that the tournament would also provide a platform to showcase the nations' tourist and investment potentials as the lenses of the entire globe would be focused on Ghana during that period. Adjetey Sowah said plans are advanced to constitute a Local Organising Committee (LOC) that will see to the successful organization of the tournament. Ghana were winners of the maiden edition staged in 2007 in Sierra Leone whilst Liberia emerged winners of the second edition on home soil in 2009.