The Ministry of Youth and Sports has responded to recent reports of some Ghanaian Paralympic athletes absconding in Oslo, Norway, where they were supposed to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon.
The Youth and Sports Ministry revealed that it is calling on embassies and consulate offices to rigorously verify visa requests for sporting events with the Ministry to prevent such incidents in the future.
The incident, which has caused significant concern, also involved the tragic collapse and subsequent death of the team’s coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, at Oslo University Hospital.
Additionally, another team member, Nana Antwi, was arrested by Norwegian authorities while attempting to travel to Sweden by train.
The Ministry of National Security alerted the Ministry of Youth and Sports to the situation, prompting an immediate response and a call for thorough investigations.
Addressing Journalists in Accra on Wednesday, Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif outlined the standard procedure for visa assistance and travel arrangements for athletes.
Typically, the Ministry acts on technical recommendations from the National Sports Authority (NSA), which submits requests for visa assistance for athletes participating in international competitions.
The Ministry then communicates these requests to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to facilitate the acquisition of the necessary visas.
However, in the case of the Norwegian incident, the Ministry of Youth and Sports emphasized that it had not received any communication from the National Sports Authority or the National Paralympic Committee regarding the competition.
Consequently, the Ministry was unaware of the Paralympic team’s participation in the marathon.
The Ministry has assured the public that it is actively collaborating with relevant authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Those, according to the Ministry found culpable, will face appropriate sanctions.
Furthermore, the Ministry is working closely with Mr. Samson Deen, President of the National Paralympic Committee, who has already suspended three individuals potentially involved in the incident.
The Ministry underscored that this unfortunate event does not reflect the dedication and integrity of the entire sports community in Ghana.
Ghanaian athletes and officials have consistently demonstrated remarkable discipline and commitment, bringing pride to the nation at numerous international competitions.
To prevent future occurrences, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has urged embassies and consulate offices to verify visa requests for sporting events with the Ministry, particularly those representing the country in a national capacity.
“We wish to assure the public that appropriate punitive measures will be taken against anyone found culpable once investigations are concluded,” the Ministry stated.
“Measures will be strengthened to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.”
The Ministry’s call for stricter verification procedures aims to uphold the integrity of Ghana’s participation in international sports and to ensure that all representatives genuinely contribute to the nation's sporting excellence.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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