Chris Boadi-Mensah
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the first Para African Games, Chris Boadi-Mensah, has said Ghana must raise a colossal amount of $8.5m for the forthcoming event.
He said, at the formal inauguration of the LOC of the first African Para Games at the African Paralympic Committee (AfPC) Secretariat in Accra, that the said amount will guarantee the successful hosting of the historic Games.
The launch also witnessed the official opening of the African Paralympic Committee’s (AfPC) Secretariat – Africa’s Home of Paralympics and unveiling of the official logo for the Games.
The logo has the Africa map embedded in it, with the red, yellow, green, and black colours of the African continent. It also has the Ghana flag placed where the country is situated on the Africa map.
In his remarks at the event, Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, expressed the nation’s profound gratitude to the Regional Organisation – the African Paralympic Committee and its members for the confidence reposed in Ghana to host and organise the first African Para Games in Accra-Ghana.
“The Republic of Ghana will indeed make history as the first African nation to host and organise the First African Para Games as a separate Regional Multi-Para Sporting competition involving athletes with disabilities on the continent of Africa,” he said.
He added that the appointment and eventual inauguration of the LOC is a strong indication that Ghana is anxiously ready and prepared to host and organise the Games successfully.
He stated that he does not doubt that the team will do their maximum best to mobilise all the resources required for the nation to successfully host the thousands of athletes, coaches, and team officials from all 55 countries in Africa as well as hundreds of dignitaries and volunteers from the rest of the world in Ghana, as a test event for the 13th African Games in 2024.
“Regional Games of this magnitude cannot be successfully planned, implemented and delivered without the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, institutions, organisations, partners, sponsors, philanthropists and individuals,” he pointed out.
He, therefore, appealed to all and sundry to join his ministry as they seek to make history by delivering a memorable first-ever Africa Para Games in the annals of African Para Sports and the Paralympic Movement in Africa.
President of the African Paralympic Committee (AfPC) and National Paralympic Committee (NPC Ghana), Samson Deen, said the African Para Games, Accra 2023, is aimed at providing African Para Athletes with a world-class, multi-sport event on African soil, which their “able-bodied” counterparts have enjoyed since the inception of the then All-African Games, now African Games in 1965.
He explained that the idea of the African Para Games as a stand-alone international multi-sporting event for athletes with an impairment in Africa was first borne in 2017 in Angola at the African Paralympic Committee General Assembly.
“Ghana is highly privileged to host and organise the first edition of the African Para Games, which is aimed at providing the African Para Athletes the opportunity to experience a world-class multi-para sporting event on the African continent, serve as a catalyst for further development and promotion of para-sports in Africa, and increased our athlete’s qualification opportunities for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” Deen said.
In his acceptance speech, LOC Chairman Chris Boadi-Mensah said Ghana must raise about $8.5m to stage the successful Games.
He urged the government, corporate Ghana and international organisations to support this fantastic project aimed at promoting inclusion through para-sport.
He thanked the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Minister of Youth and Sports for their support towards realising the goal and the entire Paralympic and Olympic Movements for their solidarity.
“Together, we shall inspire a better Africa through sports,” he stated. Members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) are Dr. Chris Boadi-Mensah, Chairman; Bella Bello Bitugu, Director of Sports; Juliana Addo-Yobo, Legal Director; Reks Brobby, Director of Operations Services; Henry Tachie-Menson, Director; Saddick Adams, Communications; Gifty Afia Oware Aboagye, Director of Marketing; Osman Ali, Director of Finance; Eric Kissi, Member of NPC Ghana; and Dr. Hayat Khattab as Member from AfPC Board.