The long-awaited National Talent Identification Program by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Ghana successfully kicked off in the Ashanti Region on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
Organised by the Ghana Para Athletics Association in collaboration with NPC-Ghana, the program was aimed at scouting and nurturing talented athletes with impairments, to harness their potential and feed into the National Para Athletics team for future national and international competitions.
The one-day exercise, covering Zone 1, brought together over 29 persons with disabilities from Kumasi and surrounding areas, including Offinso, Konongo, Beposo, Asante Mampong, and KNUST.
Participants, aged between 15 and 43, were introduced to the fundamentals of Para Athletics events such as wheelchair racing, 100m, 200m, javelin, shot put, and discus.
The exercise was conducted by experienced coaches, including Suleman Aminu, Patrick Yaw Obeng — a former national athlete — and Zinabu Issah, a current national athlete and Paralympian.
The event proved highly successful, achieving its primary objective with fifteen (15) promising young and determined athletes discovered and selected for further training and development.
It also enabled the Association to gather crucial data for building an accurate national database on Para Athletics participants.
The Ghana Para Athletics Association extended its sincere appreciation to the National Lotteries Authority for their invaluable support towards the successful execution of the program.
Special acknowledgement also went to NPC President Mr. Samson Deen, Chairman of the Para Athletics Association, Foster Kwarteng, Dr. Isaac Donkor, Dr. Abena Tannor, Ignatius Elletey, Imoro Abdul Basit, and all executive members of the Association for their diverse contributions.
The next phase of the program is scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025, at the Cape Coast Stadium in the Central Region.
