Mustapha Ussif, the Minister of Youth and Sports, has stated that the para-athletes alleged to represent Ghana at the Bergren Marathon in Oslo, Norway, are not from the country.
A group of individuals, claiming to be para-athletes representing Ghana at the Bergren Marathon in Oslo, Norway in April, disappeared. One individual tragically lost his life, while another was detained by Norwegian authorities while trying to cross into Sweden.
The Ministry of National Security communicated this information in a letter to the Sports Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Integration.
Samson Deen, President of the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana stated that his signature was fraudulently used on the visa application letter by these individuals, and he was not informed about the team in Oslo.
Earlier this week, the Ministry released a statement condemning the actions of these individuals, promising that “punitive measures” will be taken against those who impersonate athletes.
During a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Ussif clarified that the Ministry was not aware of the event or the team that went on the trip.
He stated, “In this Norway case, there was no request for either the National Sports Authority or the Youth and Sports. We were not aware of any event, and the team that went did not represent Ghana as it has been reported.”
He further added, “Normally, we don’t issue letters to the embassies; we write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for them to work on our behalf. For the record, this paralympic team did not represent our country.”
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