Ghana’s Amputee National Team, The Black Challenge, are among ten best teams in the world of amputee football to play in a special tournament in Russia, dubbed “ The World Cup Of Champions-Cup of Victory” to be held from April 30 to May 9, 2011.
The tournament, reserved for the strongest teams in world in amputee football, would pitch Ghana (6th in the world) against strong nations like Uzbekistan (Defending World Champions) Argentina (runners-up and host of the last world cup) Turkey (3rd best team in the world), Russia (host and 4th best), Brazil (5th), among others, in the city of Volgograd (Russia) to determine the very best in the world.
The Black Challenge, best in Africa, are preparing to feature in the special tournament that would serve as a booster for the forthcoming African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Ghana later this year. A good showing at the competition would be an impetus for the African Cup to be held in Accra/Kumasi. The big challenge for the Black Challenge still remains funds to enable them travel to Russia to lift high the flag of Ghana and Africa as they did at the last World Cup in Argentina, where they set the record of being the first African state to ever reach the quarterfinals of the 60 year-old competition. Sponsorship from corporate bodies and individuals would in no small way help in honoring the invitation to the tournament to register Ghana’s name on the world map so far as amputee football is concerned.
It would be recalled that The Black Challenge recently made Ghana proud by producing the first professionals in the world in the persons of Richard Opentil (captain), Francis Antwi-Darkwah (deputy captain) and Attah Yeboah, who are now playing in the Turkish Amputee League. The deal was the outcome of the team’s sterling performance at the World Cup in Argentina.