African Paralympic Committee president not worried about Ghana’s economic crisis

African Paralympic Committee President Samson Deen claims that the economic crisis in Ghana will not negatively impact preparations for the inaugural African Para Games.

The event is set to take place for the first time in the country’s capital city of Accra from September 3 to 12 this year.

Ghana currently finds itself in $47.6 billion (£39.5 billion/€44.6 billion) of debt.

It has resulted in the African Games already being postponed to next year, but Deen is not afraid of a similar fate.

“There is economic crisis everywhere, not only in Ghana,” Deen told insidethegames.

“I have travelled extensively recently to many countries, and I’m still travelling.

“We do wake up and we eat every day.

“How much investment is required for Para sports as compared to Olympic?

“If a Government is investing more than $200 million (£166 million/€187 million) [to host a Paralympic multi-sport Games] and you are to give us just a few per cent of $200 million to host 54 nations in your country for people living with disabilities, which one will you choose as a nation?

“You can organise it and give hope to society.

“Positive vibe, you are giving positivity to let people know you believe in inclusion.”

He has called on Governments across the continent to strive to ensure that the Para Games go ahead as planned.

Deen also believes that the kind of money they are looking at to stage the event is minute in comparison to overall budgets.

With the majority of venues already existing, it is much easier to keep costs down.

“It is not the responsibility of just the Ghanaian Government but the responsibility of all the Governments in Africa to support Ghana to host it and to be ready as a union of heads of states to make sure Parasports is part of one of the key projects they need to implement in their countries.

“If you are giving hope to persons living with disabilities and impairments, it means you are building a nation and that should be encouraged.

“When it comes to economic crisis, I don’t believe that we are asking for too much.

“I don’t believe that any Government in Africa thinks that spending $5 million (£4.1 million/€4.7 million) is too big in their frame of work.”

The African Para Games has eight sports on its programme and currently has participation commitments from 48 of 54 African nations.