Cape Coast, April 20, GNA - President of the Ghana Association of the Blind Youth's wing of University of Cape Coast, (UCC) Ms Regina Zilevu, on Saturday appealed to university authorities to include impaired students in the main University (GUNSA) games by next year. Ms Zilevu who made the appeal in Cape Coast also asked the government and other corporate institutions to assist the Association to acquire appropriate sporting equipment to promote sports for the visually impaired for the start of its national league.

In a welcoming address at the maiden edition of the Inter-University Games for the visually impaired at the UCC sports grounds, Ms Zilevu said that the purpose of the Games was to raise awareness of the capabilities of persons with disabilities.

It was also to help discover new potentials in disabled persons and have their challenges particularly in sports and recreational activities addressed by the general public, while providing the opportunity for members of the Association to compete among themselves. Students from the University of Ghana (UG) and UCC participated in the Games.

Ms Zilevu said it was the Association's belief that sports could improve their physical and mental health and help build their confidence, adding that it was in that regard that the games was instituted to give members the opportunity to participate in various sporting events at various levels.

The President said arrangement was far advanced for members of the Association to compete with their fellow sighted people in some sporting discipline including soccer and athletics. In an opening match, University of Ghana beat UCC 1-0 on penalties in soccer while UCC also came first in the 80 metre race when they gathered four points followed by University of Ghana with three points. UCC also came first in the girls division with two points while University of Ghana followed with no point.

Dr Kojo Asamoah, Chairman of Sports Recreation Committee of UCC who presided said the objective of the Games was to draw the attention of the public of the capability of the impaired to engage in sporting activities as well as contribute their quota to nation building. 20 April 09