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First ever national Paralympics festival held

By GNA
Sports News First ever national Paralympics festival held
NOV 30, 2015 LISTEN

Accra, Nov. 30, GNA - The first ever Dan-de-Van National Paralympics festival organized in collaboration with the National Paralympic Committee and with support from Ethiopian Airlines was held at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

The event saw about 40 Para sports athletes, including national athletes, competing in four different Para sports disciplines including wheelchair racing, hand cycling, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The Paralympics festival dubbed 'celebrating our Para sports athletes and inspiring a new generation,' drew participation from athletes and persons with disabilities from Greater Accra, Northern, Brong-Ahafo, Eastern and Ashanti regions.

The 15km hand cycling and 15km wheelchair race events simultaneously started at 09:00 hours from the Starlets 91 Street, behind the Accra sports stadium

In the 15k Hand cycling category, Alfred Adjetey Sowah held on to a comfortable lead after the first lap in a time of 39.10s to beat Richard Mensah and Emmanuel Agyare who completed in a time of 44.39s and 46.55s to finish second and third respectively.

Also in the wheelchair race competition, defending South African Outeniqua 21km champion, Mclean Dzidzienyo won a close contest, edging out Yakubu Abukari to first place in 46.33s.

Abukari settled for second in 46.34s whilst Gafa Hussein Abdul came third in 46.34s with Ayishetu Seidu, the only female to compete in the wheelchair event, receiving the loudest cheers from the spectators after coming fourth with a time of 56.47s.

The wheelchair tennis event, which climaxed the festival saw Maclean Atsu Dzideinyo again winning that category against Francis Boateng with Sheriff Deen taking the third spot.

The festival was watched by the public and some selected basketball teams, who played out entertaining games at the stadium basketball court.

GNA

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