Ace sports journalist Dan Kwaku Yeboah has raised some notable points about the impasse between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the national amputee team, the Black Challenge.
Having delved into the issue that dominated the sports media landscape over the past weeks, Dan Kwaku Yeboah observed conflicting reports from both organizations and demanded further clarification.
Kwaku Yeboah noted the contradiction between the head coach of the Black Challenge and the president of the Paralympic committee regarding the jerseys used for the tournament.
“There are more questions than answers because I listened to the head coach of the amputee team, who claimed that they bought the jerseys for the tournament at Kantamanto. The president of the African Paralympic Committee, who also serves as the president of the Ghana Paralympic Committee, told me that they received their jerseys from the GFA. He even showed me a letter of their request to the FA, so I don’t know who is speaking the truth,” he said.
“When the minister met with the federation, he reminded them of how he hosted them last year and sent them to the presidency, where each member of the team received $2000. He questioned why they didn’t come to him first this year,” he continued.
“The statement from the amputee team is that they sent a letter to the ministry on May 31 and received no response. My concern is that Sampson Deen has a relationship with the Sports Minister and needs no letter to approach the minister, so what happened this time around?” he quizzed.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, faced criticism during his address to the players and officials of the Black Challenge on June 14, 2024.
Ussif emphasized the need for the team to coordinate with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) before engaging with external entities.
“When you come after the successes and there’s an issue, the first point of contact should be this office [MoYS]. We’re not going to tolerate you using the state for your personal benefits,” he stated.
He further criticized the team’s approach this year compared to the previous year. “Unlike last year, when you landed and came here directly, this year you started going from one place to another without any records for the government who sponsored you, and that cannot be tolerated,” Ussif added.
The Black Challenge recently triumphed over Morocco in the final, securing their second consecutive AFCON title.
EK