President of the African Paralympic Committee (AfPC) and Ghana Paralympic Committee, Mr. Samson Deen, paid a courtesy call on the Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Mr. Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, on Friday, May 9, 2025.
The purpose of the visit was to officially welcome Mr. Ampofo Ankrah to his new role and to introduce some of AfPC’s upcoming initiatives. Key among them is the elective congress of the AfPC, scheduled to take place in November 2025 in Accra, Ghana.
Speaking during the visit, Mr. Deen highlighted the challenges faced by para sports on the continent and emphasized the need for collective responsibility to drive change.
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“We all know the challenges in our sports. I’m happy that you’re focused on moving forward instead of dwelling on past issues. For over 30 years, we’ve normalized the lack of funds and other difficulties. It’s time to change that.”
Mr. Deen, who double as the president of Ghana Paralympic Committee, recounted his journey in para sports, noting how it was once centred around a few individuals rather than a community.
“When I got involved in 2016, para sports in Ghana was about individuals. You’d go to an association and see only one person benefiting — a star — while the rest were nobodies. When we came in, we decided to change that. The goal is to give everyone a fair chance, and that’s the true purpose of the Paralympic movement.”
He also spoke about his election in 2019, describing it as a tough but transformative moment.
“The election was difficult — with tight security and heavy scrutiny. But I won, and I realized it wasn’t about me, it was about the athletes and the need to develop the sport.”
Samson also revealed plans to organize the first-ever Open Para Sports Festival in Ghana. The festival will feature open classification, giving African athletes a chance to be properly classified, which is critical for international competition eligibility.
“One of our biggest challenges in the region is classification. Many federations can’t afford to send athletes abroad for classification. That’s why we’re organizing the first open classification event for African athletes.”
He appealed for NSA’s support, especially in terms of access to facilities and human resources.
“We’ll need venues like Borteyman and Legon Sports Stadium. We’ve started engaging with several African countries and para sports powerhouses. We’ve also approached diplomatic missions — the Spanish Embassy was especially enthusiastic, with the ambassador identifying himself as a person with disability and pledging his support.”
Mr. Deen further noted that the festival and elective congress will be aligned with the AfPC General Assembly, which Ghana is hosting in November.
In response, Mr. Yaw Ampofo Ankrah expressed appreciation for the visit and assured Mr. Deen of NSA’s full support:
“We will make our facilities and human resources available for the success of the first-ever Open Para Sports Festival in Ghana.”
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, writer, and digital consultant passionate about creating impactful stories and business solutions. He is the Founder & CEO of SamBoad Business Group Ltd, a dynamic company with subsidiaries in digital marketing, logistics, publishing, and risk management.
