Ghanaian born Dutch international Memphis Depay has pledged his support to help develop blind and deaf sports in the country.
The former Manchester United player born to a Ghanaian father and a Dutch mother visited his home country for the second time having last paid a visit at age 2.
The player together with his friends organized some sports activities for some selected blind and deaf senior high schools in his father’s hometown Cape Coast under his foundation name “The Genesis” and after the event presented sports equipment to the senior high schools.
The 24-year-old Olympique Lyon forward promised to use his foundation to raise funds to support the Ghana Blind Sports Association and the Ghana Deaf Sports Federation develop the sports in the various senior high schools.
Memphis on the day took part in some of the sporting activities with the virtually impaired children with as well as those with hearing impairment.
The were activities such as volleyball, Football, athletics and cultural display by the deaf and the virtually impaired had sporting events such as Goalball and showdown tennis.
After his experience on the court and on the field with the children, Memphis Depay only concluded that “ these are the people we need to help I decided to come to Ghana Cape Coast to have fan with the children who can’t see and can’t hear. My self and my friends will team up to help them enjoy sports.
Memphis Depay being presented with a gift at the conference by ( GBSA and GDSF) Conference Memphis and his team together with the Ghana Blind Sports Association and the Ghana Deaf Sports Federation organized a conference to deliberate on the way forward of the project and its sustainability for the future.
Participants were drawn from the Ghana Education services, the Ghana Blind Union, Ghana Blind sports Association, Ghana Deaf Sports Federation, The national Paralympic committee, the national sports authority, Ministry of Youth and Sports, the media and other disability groups.
The former Manchester United player enjoyed the Goal Ball game on his visit to Ghana
After the conference, a committee was set up to stair the project with a set target of making sure the process for the take-off of the project in October this year 2018 was successful.
Memphis Depay and his team promised to come back to Ghana in October this year to access the progress of the project. The Genesis project with the theme sharing and caring is a brainchild of Memphis Depay and his friends.
Samuel Amponsah Amoah Technical Director of the Ghana Deaf Sports Federation remarks.
“We at the Ghana Deaf Sports Federation See’s this project from Memphis Depay as a blessing to our progress. Mind you the aim is to develop sports in the senior high schools and children and that is what we lack us a country.