Accra, May 25, GNA - The Sports Diplomacy Programme of the United States of America has donated a consignment of sporting equipment to the Sports Wing of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled at the weekend to help towards the organization and development of disabled sports in the country.

The equipment is made up of modern hand bikes, racer bikes and custom made wheelchairs for basketball games with their components worth about 60,000 US dollars.

Mr Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, President of the Sports Wing of the Society who received the equipment said the donation followed the support programme of the Sports Diplomacy Unit's effort to help organise the physically disabled to prepare and compete in sporting events. He said the donation of the equipment will be used by the Society to organise regional sporting competitions to select the best talents to form national Men's and Women's teams to compete in international events.

Mr Mohammed said under the bilateral agreement, the Society was able to purchase modern hand bikes and racer bikes for the amputee cycling programme as well custom made basketball wheelchairs equipment manufactured by Eagle Sports Chairs of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The Society is also to organise training workshops and programmes both in Ghana and the USA for its members for the maintenance of the equipment.

Mr Mohammed thanked the Government and people of the United States for their kind gesture and generosity, saying the equipment will go a long way in boosting disability sports development in the country. He added that the donation will go a long way in ensuring that the disabled prepare adequately towards international sporting competitions, since the hand bikes can also be used for road racing and amputee bicycle racing as well as ensure equipping regional training centres for the disabled.

Mr Mohammed appealed to corporate bodies to support Government in investing in disability sports so that their enthusiasm and talents in sporting events can be beneficial and stop them from begging on the streets and idling about.

He advised the disabled to get actively involved in activities that are beneficial as well as engage in sports since sporting events have therapeutic benefits that will help reduce stress and other disabilities.

Mr Mohammed added that engaging in sports will also help the disabled to build on their confidence level and make them psychologically and physically independent for them to contribute towards the socio-economic development of the country. He commended the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for facilitating the clearance of the equipment and grateful to Eagle Sports Chairs as well as the MIS, AIT and ACS Shipping Lines for giving the Society a discount for bringing in the sporting equipment. 25 May 09