LESSER KNOWN

 

THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORT REFERS TO WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN GHANA AS LESSER KNOWNS – PRESIDENT OF GHANA WHEELCHAIR BESKETBALL FEDERATION (GWBF) - (FINAL PRODUCTION).

STORY BY:

EVELYN COBBINAH.

NOVEMBER 4, 2021.

The president of Ghana Wheelchair Basketball Federation, Max Vardon has stated that the Ministry of Youth and Sport has refused to acknowledge and develop wheelchair basketball in the country. According to him, Ghana Basketball Wheelchair Federation is referred to as lesser known sport in their budget as most of the resources are allocated and invested in football in the country.

“If you go to Ministry of Sport, they would talk about lesser known sport. Why are they lesser known? Because they refuse to acknowledge and they refuse to support and they refuse to promote these so called lesser knowns. All the bulk of money in this country under the curfew of the ministry goes into football, to the exclusion of virtually everything else” he said.

He added that, decisions for disabled persons are taken by persons who have full faculties, therefore, they lack the sensitivity to include disability issues and disability sports in their decisions making. He mentioned that the Ministry of Sport knows about the federation but has refused to feature them in their calculations, which is why the federation lacks funding. He also stated that the attitudinal problems of the general population have also contributed to the failure of the sport in the country.

“If one goes to seek funding from a corporate sponsor, naturally they would ask; what is the need for me? If it is funding for a well-known sport like football or tennis, they see no problem with it but with wheelchair basketball, the story is different” he said.

Mr. Max Vardon further added that the federation owes an amount of about 16,000 US Dollars which is equivalent to 97,597.54 Ghanaian cedis as at November 4,2021. He stated that the debt started from the previous Ministry of Sport administration. According to him, the previous administration promised to support Ghana Wheelchair Basketball Federation to participate in a tournament in South-Africa but later withdrew from the tournament because the ministry said there was no money to fund the team, which made the federation to earned certain penalties.

 

 

 

“We fall under the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation of Africa which is part of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. So, we are expected to pay dues annually, pay for every tournament we participate in, registration and so on. These dues have been mountinning up, which is the reason why we have a debt of 16,000 US Dollars” he added.

Meanwhile, Elvis Alipui who is the head coach for Ghana Wheelchair Basketball Federation says media houses should feature a lot of para-sport stories to help decrease the financial difficulties in the federation.

Also, he added that government should increase the allowance and the number of persons that receive the allowance, as most of the wheelchair basketball players are unemployed.

 

Basketball is among the many popular sport globally. Wheelchair basketball in Ghana was introduced in the year 1990, and was the first disability sport practiced by persons with disability in the country. The Federation holds the record of being the largest disability sport in Ghana, with over 400 players across all regions which has 40 percent women and 60 percent men. The sport just as the normal basketball compromises of five players and seven substitutes.

It is hoped that wheelchair basketball would be at par with other sport enjoyed in the country.