Ghana: African Nations for Amputee Football (CANAF)
By Peterking Quaye, Accra- Ghana( Lead Sports Reporter ) – The Cup of African Nations for Amputee Football (CANAF) – Ghana will kick off this weekend with an expectant colorful opening ceremony at the EL-Wak stadium in the Ghanaian capital this weekend.
Eight African teams have been confirmed to participated in this 3rd edition of the tournament, tournament host Ghana and the Local Organizing Committee during the week has received numerous donations from corperate institutions to support the organization of the tournament as well the Ghana Amputee team. They included donation from T T Brothers with GHC 22,972.000, as well Blue Spring Water Company, Toyota Ghana Ltd also donated 4 cars to be used for the teams and LOC mobility.
Defending Champion Liberia is set to pose am challenge to the host country after they were the first to arrive and back in Liberia have been promise a lot to bring the giant trophy at stake .The tournament will not be played on the traditional soccer pitch according to the World Amputee Federation rules. The games will official start on 19th October and the finals is expected on the 26th of October, 2011.
The National Amputee Football team, the Black Challenge has received a donation of 7,000GHC from Africa Origin Travel and Sports Tourism .The donation, according to Africa Origin Travel and Sports Tourism, was to enable the team prepare adequately for the competition, which will also serve as qualifiers for the 31st Amputee World Cup in Japan next year.
Susan Malik, General Manager of the company, said the Black Challenge have over the years demonstrated what it takes to win laurels for Ghana in Amputee Football following their performance in the last World Cup held in Argentina, hence the need to give them the necessary support.
Clement Kofi Humado, Minister of Youth and Sports who received the donation on behalf of the team, expressed appreciation to the company for their gesture and called on other corporate bodies to come to the aid of the team to excel at the event.
He gave the assurance that government would also provide logistical support to the organization of the tournament.
The minister added that the government will provide the organizers of the event with a trophy, medals and other logistics as part of their support for the team.
Francis Adjetey Sowah, President of the Ghana Amputee Football Association and Amputee Football Federation of Africa (AFFA) said his outfit has received adequate support from the National Sports Authority (NSA) as well as other corporate bodies to ensure a successful hosting of the event. Adjetey Sowah expressed the hope that the event will be given the needed support to be a successful one.
