By Albert Parker Narteh
The Ghana Tennis Federation (GTF) hosted a national wheelchair tennis camp at the Accra Sports Stadium Tennis Court in commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The event, supported by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), brought together more than 30 junior players to introduce children with physical disabilities aged 10 to 18 to wheelchair tennis and develop their skills.
National coaches Yahya Macaulay and Philip Plange led the sessions, supported by regional coaches. The event also introduced wheelchair tennis to new players.
The event forms part of the association’s selection process of athletes into the national. The team selection will be based more on competitive and medal oriented athletes to place Ghana on a high pedestal and be part of the Big Contenders in the World Para Powerlifting.
Speaking at the event, GTF Wheelchair Tennis National Coordinator Henry Larbi said the initiative was about more than just sports.
“We are empowering young people to become leaders and role models,” he said.
“Wheelchair tennis started in 2013, and we have a strategic plan to introduce the sport to almost all the regions in Ghana,” he added.
“Currently, we are in the Western Region, Central Region, Greater Accra, Volta Region, Eastern Region, Ashanti Region, Bono and Ahafo Regions, and even Tamale. So, about 70% of the country is covered. In a year or two, we should have a lot of junior players who can become international players.
At the moment, we have about nine international players in Ghana, but some of them.”
A member of the National Paralympic Committee, Ignatius Elletey, thanked the sponsors of the program and called on corporate institutions to come on board to sponsor the NPC as a whole.
This year’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities was under the theme, ‘Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.
More stories here
