The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Ghana has taken action against some of its officials who were found to have falsified documents to obtain visas for para-athletes and officials to Norway.
Reports indicated that 11 para-athletes and officials who traveled to Norway for a competition in April had failed to register to participate in the event. One member of Ghana’s paralympic team was caught by Norwegian officials trying to flee to Sweden.
In a letter signed by the Minister of National Security, Mr Albert Kan-Dapah, it was revealed that the Norwegian Embassy in Accra had issued alerts to other Schengen states and Western Diplomatic Missions in Accra, as well as other European Border Coast Guard agencies, to help apprehend and repatriate the team members. Unfortunately, the team’s coach, Mr George Gyamfi Gyasi, passed away on May 17, 2024, after being admitted to Oslo University Hospital.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has been urged to take action on the matter to ensure the future of Ghanaian athletes is not jeopardized when competing in foreign tournaments. As a result of these events, the NPC has imposed an indefinite ban on Mr Theodore Mawuli Viwotor, former General Secretary of the Ghana Amputee Football Association, and Mr Yaw Ayisi, founder of the Ernestay Foundation, for their involvement in the incident.
President of the NPC Ghana, Mr Samson Deen, clarified that the organization had no affiliation with the 11-member para-athletes and officials and had reported the issue to the Ghana Police for further investigations. The NPC is expected to release a statement in the near future to reveal the findings of their initial investigation into the matter.
It is important for the NPC and all sports organizations to uphold integrity and transparency to ensure the well-being and fair treatment of athletes representing Ghana in international competitions.
