Richard Obeng, head coach of Ghana’s national Amputee Football team, has shed light on why the team visited other notable figures before paying a courtesy call to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
This follows their victorious campaign at the African Amputee Football Cup of Nations (AAFCON) in Egypt, where they secured their second consecutive championship.
Ghana’s national Amputee Football team met a furious Sports Minister
Upon returning to Ghana, the Black Challenge visited various personalities, including former President John Mahama, and received crucial donations due to their financial struggles. However, their visit to the Sports Minister did not go as smoothly as expected.
In an interview with Akoma FM in Kumasi, Coach Obeng explained that the Ministry was displeased with the team’s engagements with other individuals before meeting with them.
He clarified that it was not the team’s intention to seek support elsewhere first. According to Obeng, their initial efforts to meet with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, were met with silence.
“We have not been going around begging for alms after winning the tournament,” Obeng emphasized. “The NSA was asked why no one met us to receive our trophy. We were told they were not aware of our return. This was false because the date for our return tickets was known to them.”
He explained that their visit to Pastor Adom Kyei, who had provided the team with jerseys for the tournament, was to express their gratitude. “We went to him because he purchased the jerseys we wore at the tournament for us. We had no jersey and were there just to show our appreciation,” he added.
The turning point came after their visit to former President John Mahama, which seemed to prompt the Ministry to take action. “We were only called after we visited Ex-President Mahama. Prior to that, we had made a request to present the trophy to the Minister on the 3rd of June or any date that might be appropriate for the Minister. But we didn’t get any response. We only got his attention after we visited the Ex-President,” Obeng stated.
This account highlights the challenges faced by the Black Challenge team and underscores the need for better support and communication from the relevant authorities.
