Ghanaian para-athlete Raphael Nkegbe poised to win first Olympic medal

Ghanaian Para-athlete, Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe, says he is bent on winning Ghana’s first para-Olympic medal.

Nkegbe secured his spot for the Tokyo Paralympic games after winning the T54 World Wheelchair 100m race with a new personal best of 14.22s at the Desert Challenge Games in Arizona, USA, becoming the first Ghanaian Para-Athlete to Qualify for the 2020 Paralympic games in Tokyo.

According to the athlete, he is ready for the games and poised to win some medals for the country.

He also called on the government and Ghanaians to support para-athletes in the country.

“Your preparation always determines what you get. We have qualified and the qualifier is a stage you need to climb going to Paralympics and we have climbed that stage. They are doing their best but we hope that the nation will continue to support. I always say Botsyo is ready but is Ghana ready for Botsyo?

“If you go, there are three things involved. If you miss the gold, don’t miss the silver. If you miss the silver don’t miss the bronze. Any of these three medals I might win in Paralympic will go into the history books because Ghana has never won any Paralympic medal,” he said.

Raphael Botsyo further urged all and sundry to give equal attention to Paralympics just as is given to football in Ghana.

“We do not need much to win laurels for Ghana but always it is only one language we understand most, which is football. I always say that nobody hates football but we all cannot play football that is why talents are being given in different ways…Para sports is always going to put Ghana high if more attention is given,” he scored.