Disabled sportsmen call for recognition

Samuel Armstrong Aidoo, Technical Director of the National Paralympic Committee, has called for greater recognition and appreciation for disabled people who engage in Paralympics sports.

He said this will encourage disabled individuals to take sports seriously and also reduce the number of street beggars in the country.

Speaking to the GNA Sports in Accra on Tuesday, Aidoo regretted that the recent successes chalked by the national amputee soccer team in Sierra Leone which led to their qualification for the Amputee World Cup in Turkey went unnoticed.

Aidoo said even though the success of the team is equivalent to achievements chalked by the Black Stars, they have been neglected by the authorities and with little or no recognition from the sporting public.

He said the attitude of Ghanaians towards disabled sports is killing the spirit of their members and there is therefore the need to encourage them to achieve more successes.

"We don't even have a park for training and often sacked by owners of parks who accuse us of visiting their pitches with bad luck, because we are disabled."

Aidoo said the recent performance of the National Amputee Football Team in Sierra Leone was funded by Daniel Arhin, Managing Director of Danliz Motors, dealers in second hand cars.

The Technical Director therefore commended the Managing Director for his benevolence and called on other individuals and corporate organisations to come to the assistance of the disabled with the needed aid.

Aidoo noted that people who engage in disabled sports are equally intelligent adding that, "Imagine controlling your wheel chair and bouncing a ball in a basketball game. This is a difficult art but the disabled is able to do it with much ease and this confirms their intelligence hence the need for motivation for them to succeed."

Aidoo, who doubles as the Secretary General of the Amputee Football Federation of Africa, revealed that he is currently preparing the football team of the Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled to participate in World Club Championship in Russia which he was confident the team will excel in.

He, therefore, called on individuals and corporate bodies to come to the aid and development of the disabled sports. GNA