Elizabeth Sackey in a wheel chair during the inauguration of the Accra Wheel Chair Basketball Assoc.
The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon Elizabeth Tetteh Sackey, confined herself in a wheelchair as she joined others to inaugurate the Greater Accra Wheel Chair Basketball Association at a colorful ceremony at the Lebanon House in Accra.
Invited guests to the event were shocked when they saw Madam Elizabeth Sackey opting to sit in the wheel chair to play with a select team made up of Daniel Nii Mensah, C.E.O. of Dan De Van Group of Companies and President of the Ghana Amputee Football League Board, Mr. Max Valdon, President o the Ghana Wheel Chair Basketball Federation (GWBF), Rev Richard Nii Amartey Adesah, Chairman of the Ghana Amputee Football Association and Mr. Sam Arthur, Chairman of the Greater Accra Wheel Chair Basketball Association.
Panting from a 10-minute wheelchair game, Madam Elizabeth Sackey appealed to Ghanaians, especially the corporate world to support wheel chair basketball and other disability sports to encourage Persons with Disability (PWDs) to integrate well into society.
"I have felt how it is and I am appealing to all Ghanaians, especially the companies, to come to the aid of wheel chair basketball and other disability sports to give more meaning to the lives of Persons with Disability," she appealed.
She pledged her support for the sport, assuring the Federation of her consistent presence at their events. "I will continue to be present at your events as my support for the sport".
The Chairman for the occasion, Mr. Daniel Nii Mensah, noted that the incidence of PWDs begging on the streets is partially attributable to the lack of support from society.
"If we all lend our support to PWDs, we can create employment avenues and reduce the number of them on our streets begging," he said.
He appealed for support from government and other philanthropists to change disability sports from the so-called lesser-funded sports categorization into a well-endowed activity for the less privileged.
Mr. Max Valdon, President of the Ghana Wheel Chair Basketball Federation (GWBF) was very optimistic the sport would rise up to compete with regular basketball, as he rallies support.
The demonstration match ended basketless.
