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 AfPC President Deen, LOC inspect venues, facilities …ahead of African Paralympic Games in Sept

The President of the African Paralympic Com­mittee (AfPC), Mr Samson Deen, says facilities are almost ready for Ghana to host the African Paralympic Games in September.

Speaking after a tour of the four major facilities earmarked for the event on Tuesday, Mr Deen said a few refurbishment is set to be un­dertaken on some of the facilities to make them disability friendly.

Facilities including the Accra Sports Stadium, Legon Sports Stadium, Trust Sports Empori­um and the Eden Heights Sports facilities have been earmarked for the Games set to feature seven disciplines.

Currently, Mr Deen said wheel­chair basketball and wheelchair tennis would be played at the Eden Heights courts which was ready at the time of the inspection and certified for the Games.

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Goalball and amputee soccer have been slated for the Accra Sports Stadium with the Legon facility expected to host para athletics and the Trust Sports Em­porium hosting sitting volley and para powerlifting.

Addressing the media, Mr Deen said “It is important to assess the facilities to know our readiness to host the first ever Para Games; we’re certain to organise a success­ful event.”

Mr Deen announced a transpor­tation system for the competition to ensure that participants were safely transported from one venue to the other.

“All we need is the government and corporate Ghana to come on board to support us to organise a decent and memorable Para Games,” he stated.

The Chairman of the Local Or­ganising Committee (LOC) of the Para Games, Mr Chris Boadi-Men­sah, reiterated that they were on course to host the rest of Africa.

“We would put in place the necessary measures to ensure that participants were safe to enjoy the Games within the period,” he added.

Led by a member of the LOC, Mr Ignatius Elletey, the tour of the facilities began at the Accra Sports Stadium where the pitch and Ha­thiramani hall were inspected.

The team then moved to the Trust Sports Emporium (Bukom) where the boxing arena, the phys­iotherapy centre and gymnasium were also inspected before moving to Eden Heights for another inspection.

The Managing Director of Trust Emporium, Madam Shirley Ac­quah-Harrison and Sales Executive at Eden Heights, Mr Cyril Gadog­be, both assured the team that the facilities were ready to host the Games.

Mr Elletey said he was pleased with work done at the Legon Sports Stadium, the venue for the para athletics event, and urged the contractors to speed up works to make the facility ready before September.

He said the facilities were about 80 per cent ready for the Games with guarantees that they would be completed within a couple of months.

Ghana would host the African Para Games from September 3-12 with over 40 countries expected to participate in the event.

The LOC has estimated an amount of $8.5m to host a suc­cessful event.

 BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE

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