The Ghana Deaf Football Association (GDFA) has dismissed reports suggesting that Ghana’s deaf football team, the Black Wonders, has withdrawn from the World Deaf Football Championship, originally scheduled for 2020 in Korea.
According to the GDFA, the event was cancelled way back in March when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, adding that the announcement from a group known as Ghana Deaf Sports Federation (GDSF) raises suspicions and urged the public to disregard the group.
The GDFA’s position came in the wake of reports from the GDSF indicating Ghana’s withdrawal from the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) sanctioned deaf football championship which has been postponed to 2021.
The GDSF, however, assured in its statement that there are efforts to prepare a team to the 2021 Summer Deaflympics scheduled for December, 2020 in Caxia Du Sul, Brazil.
It also announced the suspension of the membership of the GDFA for gross misconduct.
Responding, the GDFA in a statement signed by Acting Chairman, Chris Ekpo, called the bluff of the GDSF, querying its locus in the organisation of deaf sports in Ghana.
“The announcement of the suspension of the membership of the GDFA is laughable and a childish act from a desperate group seeking for attention.”
Mr Ekpo explained that the GDFA derives its powers from the National Sports Authority (NSA) as well as the Ghana National Association for the Deaf (GNAD) whose constitution mandates the GDFA to execute its football.
“We are answerable to bodies such as the Association of Sports for the Disabled, National Deaflympic Committee, Confederation of African Deaf Sports (CADS), Deaf International Football Association (DIFA), the International Committee of Deaf Sports (ICDS) and the West Africa Deaf Sports Union (WADSU) but not to GDSF.”
He described as unfortunate the turn of event on the deaf football scene but assured that GDFA would work with all the recognised stakeholders as far as deaf football was concerned to ensure the sport was improved to change the lives of all deaf athletes in the country.
He thanked the public for the support received so far and advised that rebellious groups such as the GDSF and others be disregarded in the move to improve sports in Ghana.
