Rio Paralympics: Amadu Finishes 9th In High Jump

Ghana’s sole representative in the track and field department of the Paralympics in Rio, Yussif Amadu, couldn’t fulfill his quest of winning a medal for Ghana after placing ninth in the High Jump T42 category.

The 38-year-old was able to jump a height of 1.68 metres which fell short of his personal best of 1.70 metres.

Speaking to Sportscrusader.com from his base in the Olympic Village in Rio, Amadu lamented the different strategy employed by most of his counterparts who use their back to execute the jump.

He said: “I will have to change my style of jumping, so as to enable me improve on my jump, but I will come back home and work on my mistakes.”

Ghana’s representatives at the games which include Alem Mumuni (Cycling) and Charles Teye Narh (Power lifter) have all crashed out of the event in their respective disciplines.

Rio Paralympics: Amadu Finishes 9th In High Jump

Video: Team Ghana At Rio Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Ghana’s contingent for the Rio Paralympics partook in the opening ceremony that was held in the Maracana stadium.

Ghana is making its fourth appearance at the Paralympics and will be represented by three para-athletes namely; Alem Mumuni (Para- Cycling), Charles Teye Narh and Yussif Amadu (High Jump).

 

A four-member delegation consisting Mr. Saka Acquaye, Deputy Director-General, National Sports Authority (NSA), Bishop Cornelius Adjah Coffie, President of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), Mr. Ignatius Elletey, General Secretary of NPC and Sessi Dzakpasu, Technical Director of NPC, left the country to join the athletes in the Olympic Village

Video: Team Ghana At Rio Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Para-Athletes Ready To Rock Rio Paralympics

The 2016 Paralympics begin on Wednesday with Rio’s Maracana stadium again the iconic setting for the opening ceremony of a Games staged against a backdrop of austerity and doping.

Less than three weeks after the flame was doused on South America’s first Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro welcomes 4,300 Paralympians seeking their own slice of sporting glory.

Stars include Iranian powerlifter Siamand Rahman, Britain’s wheelchair racer David Weir and China’s blind sprinter Liu Cuiqing.

Two new events — canoe-kayak and triathlon — make their appearance on the 22-sport menu, with competitors from 161 nations — but not one Russian amongst them.

Russian para-athletes, who finished second behind China in the London 2012 medals table, were last month barred from the Sept 7-18 Games by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) following a World Anti-Doping Agency report which alleged a vast state-sponsored doping program.

 

Six countries are sending athletes for the very first time — Aruba, Congo, Malawi, Somalia, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo.

 

Ghana is making it fourth appearance at the Paralympics and will be represented by three para-athletes namely Alem Mumuni (Para- Cycling), Charles Teye Narh and Yussif Amadu (High Jump)

Para-Athletes Ready To Rock Rio Paralympics

Ghana Paralympic Team Receives Support (Photos)

CEO of Dan de van group of companies, Mr. Daniel Nii Mensah, has donated a set of kits to Team Ghana ahead of the 2016 Rio Paralympics which kick-starts on September 7, 2016.

Director general of the National Sports Authority, Mr. Joe kpenge received the presentation on behalf of team Ghana and expressed appreciation for the kind gesture demonstrated by Dan de van. He encouraged him to keep doing good for mother Ghana.

On his part ,Mr. Mensah was grateful for such appreciation and insisted it was part of his social responsibility as a company and would continue to do more for mother Ghana.

Meanwhile, the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Ghana has called for support for their disabled athletes as they have expressed the difficulty in funding for the trip

Three para athletes- Alem Mumuni (paracycling),Charles Narh (powerlifting) and Yusif Mohammed (High jump) would represent the nation at this year’s Paralympic Games.

Ghana Paralympic Team Receives Support (Photos)

Ghana"s Paralympic Failure

‘Promises’, ‘Promises’, ‘Promises’ a recurrent term that encapsulates the affection government and corporate entities have been to disabled athletes whenever they are to embark on an international assignment for Ghana.

Largely, it has been the lack of funds/sponsorship which leads to inadequacy in preparations.

Ghana’s Rio 2016 Paralympics contingent are in a limbo over their participation in this year’s mega sports event after the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) revealed last week, their failure in securing funds for the games and further appealed for funds accordingly.

Many of its athletes had difficulty in participating in various Olympic qualifiers on the African continent which made the target of at least, 10 athletes unachievable.

Ghana had three of its athletes qualifying for the games, namely; Alem Mumuni, Charles Narh and Yussif Amadu,but investigation by Sportscrusader.com indicates that Alem and Narh are in USA training for the games on personal sponsorship whilst Amadu is in Ghana hoping to join his colleagues if the NPC acquires sponsorship.

Disabled sports in Ghana, is in a downward spiral over the difficulty in securing funds for the development of disabled sports and, considering the large pool of disabled athletes across the country, it might seem a bit disheartening considering the number of talents available.

Another clear case of how Ghana has failed disabled sport was when Ghana Amputee Football Association, suffered expulsion from the World Amputee Football Federation, for non-payment of affiliation fees.

Considering the large pool of disabled athletes across the country, why has it been so difficult for the country to unearth talents for the games, so that medals could be won, since the able-bodied athletes have failed in their quest to win honors for the country.

With barely 10 days to the start of the Paralympic games, I hope Ghana’s Paralympic dream will be saved and hopefully, the country will win its first medal in Paralympic sports.

Ghana"s Paralympic Failure