Amputee football players on Wednesday hit the streets of the capital in a peace walk to appeal for immediate resolution of a dragging court case that has hampered the growth and development of the sport.
Joined by members of the Ghana Amputee League Club Association (GALCA), the exercise attracted about 50 amputee players and officials who were clad in red shirts.
They marched from the National Theatre to the Accra High Court premise, bearing placards which had many inscriptions.
The engravings on the placards, which stated their frustrations and requests included, “Amputee Football is All We Have”, “Our Talents Must Not Go Waste”, “Help Us Smile Again,” “Our Dignity is at Stake,” and “We Can’t Go to the streets again.”
Others were, “Don’t Kill Amputee Football,” “We Want to Be Treated as National Assets,” “President Come Rescue Us,” and “Enough in Court, Amputee Leadership.”
The action of the amputee footballers coincided with Wednesday’s hearing of the case in court; harboring high hopes of seeing finality to the ongoing impasse to enable them practice their
But, sadly, the case was adjourned to July 26.
However, the protesters took the opportunity to drum home their grievances with the hope that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Authority (NSA) and other relevant stakeholders would intervene.
Two bodies, Ghana Amputee Football Federation (GAFF) and the Ghana Amputee Football Association (GAFA) have over the past five years been locked in a legal battle over the ownership of amputee football in Ghana.
Consequently, Mr Philip Cecil Ritcher, a member of GAFF sought an injunction which was granted by the Accra High Court to put on hold the activities of amputee football.
By that move, the High Court restrained GAFA and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) from acting as administrators of amputee football.
Addressing the press after the walk, the Welfare Officer of the national amputee football team, Mr Emmanuel Akpagli said the players were going through difficulties because they could not use their talents to earn a decent living.
“We engaged in the peaceful demonstration to appeal to the combatants, court, the government and everyone in charge, to find a solution to the issue for us to start playing. We are suffering because of the activities of the administrators,” he stated.
“We plead for an out-of-court settlement for the two parties. We believe that since our people are all interested in developing amputee football, they would think about what is best for us and let go of their egos.”
Sadly he said, some of the players had returned to the streets due to the lack of activity.
BY MICHAEL D.ABAYATEYE
