President of the Ghana Paralympic Committee (GPC), Samson Deen, has hinted that he will step down from his role as head of para sports in Ghana in the coming weeks, as he prepares to focus on his responsibilities at the continental level.
According to Deen, he has intentionally mentored capable individuals to take over the leadership of Ghana para sports when he steps down, expressing confidence in their ability to carry on the work he has begun.
He made the disclosure when members of the national paralympic team paid a courtesy call on the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, to present medals they won at a recent sub-regional competition.
“The national event in February will be the last thing I will do for you,” Deen said. “The aim is to strengthen the regional sectors and then hand over the Ghana Paralympics to the capable men I have trained to take over the mantle.
“It is not a goodbye in the true sense, but a goodbye to allow other people also to do the work, while I focus my attention on Africa,” he added.
Deen praised the national Paralympic team for competing credibly at the sub-regional level, stressing that they did not attend the competition as mere participants but returned home with medals, finishing second overall.
He also declared that the long-standing dominance of North African countries in international para sports competitions must end.
“My vision is to see sub-Saharan African countries making a significant impact at international championships,” he noted. “We must go to competitions and return with medals, not go as tourists.”
Responding to Deen’s remarks, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah described him as a hardworking leader whose contributions have not been fully appreciated by the nation.
“We should not allow him to leave the scene and only begin to regret his absence later,” Ankrah said.
He commended Deen for transforming the image of the Paralympic movement in Ghana and across Africa within a short period, noting that the Paralympic brand has become strong and respected both locally and on the continent.
“What Samson Deen has done for the Paralympic movement in Ghana and Africa has never happened before,” Ankrah added. “I urge the athletes to continue remembering him in their prayers.”
