Daily Heritage November 10

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Sports
DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017
Para-athletics,
para-power-lifting
inaugurated in Accra
BY ROLAND B. TAMAKLOE
THE NA-
TIONAL Paralympic
Committee
(NPC) president,
Mr
Bishop Adja Cofie, has inaugurated
para-athletics and
para-power-lifting and also
swore in 12 executives to run
its affairs till 2021. The inauguration
took place at the
Accra Sports Stadium yester-
• A para-power-lifter athlete demonstrating the craft to the executives at the inauguration
day.
Para- athletes had seven
members headed by Dr
Isaac Ankomah, while parapower-lifters
have Mr Sampson
Dean as their president.
At the inauguration, Mr
Cofie said despite the sport
gaining a lot of attention, it
still lacked the necessary attention
and support from
the government for paraathletes
to thrive and compete
in international
competition around the
world.
Para-sports, which started
in Ghana in 1990, according
to Mr Cofie, would bring to
the fore games such as wheel
chair basketball and parabadminton
among others.
Mr Sampson Dean, the
newly elected president for
para-power lifting, said that
his target was to form a formidable
team to qualify and
participate in the 2020 Para
Olympics.
A member of the Parawheelchair
team, Mr Ralph
Nkegbe, said para-sport is an
expensive sport and the
team would require a sum of
$5000-$7000 to get a racing
chair.
The Deputy Minister of
Youth and Sports, Mr Pious
Enam Hadzide, wished them
all the best in their four-year
term of office and congratulated
the new executiveson
serving Ghana through parasports.
He said that the government
was putting together
structures to train more
coaches for para-sports.
Coach Yakubu
glad about Cape
Coast Stadium for
Stars match
COACH ALI Yakubu, Chief Executive Officer
of Ali Royals Surfing and Soccer Foundation
based in Cape Coast, is happy that the
Black Stars are playing their FIFA World Cup
Qualifier against Egypt at the new stadium in
the Central Regional capital.
According to Coach Yakubu, who has
deep interest in unearthing and grooming
young footballers with the support of other
non-governmental agencies, hosting the Black
Stars in Cape Coast has brought a new wind
of soccer fever in the ancient town with every
football fan wishing to see some international
stars with their naked eyes for the first time.
He wished the Black Stars well and prayed
that they would prove that in spite of losing
the chance to go to their fourth World Cup in
a row, Ghana football is still competitive and
the best in Africa.
According to him, it is motivating and inspiring
that after the local Black Stars of
Ghana have hosted and won the Fox Sports
WAFU Cup, their senior colleagues may also
be lucky to win against Egypt.
He noted that a win by Ghana is also
going to award the team points in the FIFA
rankings.
Yakubu said his mission of unearthing and
developing talents is on course and so had
started surfing lessons at Kormantse, near
Saltpong, since May 2017 and the kids and
youth were much happy to see surfing back.
“We really need sponsorship or partnership
to improve our soccer, surfing and swimming
lessons with some of underprivileged
children and youth in Ghana,” he said.
He has eyes for football talents and some
of his players were declared best under the
Aspire Dreams Football project.
Yakubu also has the belief in attracting the
young sportsmen and women through the
power of sports for education, and he has
helped many children to love going to school.
He said the Black Stars could win the next
African Cup of Nations if the people of
Ghana come together to support the team,
and shy away from politics.
PFF prepares for African Kickboxing Championship
THE PRO Fighting Factory (PFF)
Ghana is preparing feverishly ahead
of next month’s African Kickboxing
Championship in Morocco.
Lawrence Nyanyo Nmai,
Ghana’s world-known WBC Muay
Thai and World Martial Arts 86kg
kickboxing champion, has donated
kits to be used by the team which is
a national select side going to represent
Ghana in December.
Nmai, who is based in Switzerland,
has presented equipment made
up of track suits, boots, gloves,
mouth and head guards to the team.
The presentation took place at
the Accra Sports Stadium on
Wednesday, where the President of
Ghana Kickboxing Association
• The athletes with officials
(GKA), Nii Adotey Dzata 1, aka
Joseph Mingle, received the items
and commended Nmai for his sole
efforts and contributions to the
sport.
He urged corporate Ghana to
support Kickboxing because it has
taken some people out of the
streets, who are now doing sports
and wish to compete for international
honours.
The six athletes going to represent
the nation are very popular and
experienced fighters who have won
many international and local bouts.
They include Isaac Commey –
65.5kg, Francis Dodoo – 68.5kg,
Daniel Boateng – 55.5kg, Euro
Jonathan – 80.5kg, Ebenezer Adjei
– 75.5kg and Stephen Bruce –
60.5kg.
The officials accompanying the
squad are Nii Adotey Dzata, the
president of GKA; Isaac Doku
coach; Amanor Michael, assistant
Coach; and Nii Yemoh-Yemoson,
team manager.
Isaac Commey, who recently
won an international MMA bout in
Ghana against British-born Theo
Nelson, said the team had prepared
very well and were hungry for competition.
“We promised never to let the
nation down, we are going for gold
medal,” he said.