The Nigeria Wheelchair Softball Association NWSA has perfected plans to present a formidable team in this year’s World Championship in the United States of America.
This was after supporters of the Nigerian team expressed concerns about the side’s preparedness following their loss to their Ghanaian counterparts in Lagos.
The Nigerian team had lost 3runs to 4runs in a five inning friendly played at the National Stadium in Surulere.
Despite the loss, the president of NWSA Dr Sunday Odior assured that more preparations were in the pipeline in order to fortify the Nigerian team ahead of the American World Championship in August:
” This game against Ghana is one of the preparation games to the US World Cup in August.
“We also have another competition in Canada, we have in Japan and we also have in India.
“The international body wants Nigeria to organise an international game because by next year they are also preparing to come to Africa and Nigeria is one of the destinations.
“So that was why we had to put in all we have to make sure this was a huge success.”
The Ghanian Wheelchair Softball team are also headed for the world championship in USA and the friendly win against Nigeria pointed to progress in the squad.
Speaking after the win in Lagos a delighted president of the Ghana Wheelchair Softball Association Mr Osei Mensah expressed hope that the sports in Africa would one day have more countries participating at international level, while urging other countries to embrace the game.
He commended the Ghanaian government’s support to the sport and the entire team, saying that Officials and relevant agencies have been supporting the development of the game.
Contrary to Mr Mansah’s assertion, his Nigerian counterpart Mr Odior said that para-sports have received less or no attention from government, corporate and individual sponsorship, unlike other countries where the sport gets full support.
He blamed inadequate equipment for the slow growth of the Nigerian team, saying that each wheelchair costs between $4,000 and $15,000:
“If you check the wheelchair the Ghana team is playing with, all are standard wheelchairs.
“But if you check the ones the Nigerian team is playing, we have mixed, the ones that are not for this sports, that’s why you see some of the throws and batting, they are not comfortable because we don’t have the adequate equipment yet.
“We are coming up, and I know when you put up things like this, when people hear, we don’t know who will say these poeple need support, let’s give them that.
“That’s the role of the media, we need the media.”
Mr Odior believes that if well supported, para-sports will take the over 20 million people living with disability off the streets.
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