Ghana Wheelchair Tennis (GWT), in partnership with Pricelessmom Foundation, is set to organise a historic 2nd National Juniors Wheelchair Tennis Clinic dubbed ‘2015 YakDan National Wheelchair Tennis Camp’ for children with disability aged between 12 to 18 years at the Kumasi Sports stadium Tennis Court on Saturday, 30 May, from 10:00am to 2:00pm.
Under the auspices of Ghana Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Federation, with support from the Johan Cruyff Foundation in the Netherlands and the Ashanti Regional Tennis Association, the GWT aims to change perceptions about people with disability and breaking barriers through the programme.
About 70 children with physical disability and other types of disability accompanied by their respective sports masters are expected to take part in the fun filled exercise under the theme, “Breaking Barriers through Wheelchair Tennis.”
The clinic is to select 2 prospective junior players to represent Ghana at the Johan Cruyff Africa Regional Juniors Camp in South Africa from 28th September to 5th October 2015
The participants will be drawn from the Orthopedic Training Centre (Nsawam), Jachie Pramso Rehabilitation Centre, Ebwenase Rehabilitation Centre(Kumasi), Garden City Special Schools, Asokore-Mampong and physically Challenged Action Foundation in Offinso.
This follows the successful organisation of the first clinic in 2013 at Accra Sports which involved two schools Orthopedic Training Centre (Nsawam) and the Accra Rehabilitation Centre.
According to the National Coordinator of Ghana Wheelchair Tennis, Henry Larbi, one of the main aims of the clinic is to use sports as a means of changing mindsets and perceptions about people with disability in Ghana.
Towards that goal, the programme will aim to break down social barriers, discrimination and isolation with people with disability by providing the necessary education to all participants.
He added that the clinic would help identify children with disabilities, harness their God given talent in sports and develop it.
Among other things, the programme would enhance physical activity among children with disabilities and help introduce wheel chair tennis sports into schools
It will be recalled that Yak Dan Shipping recently wrote a new chapter into wheelchair racing in the country when sponsoring four members of the ‘Go Get Them Wheelchair Racing Club’ to compete at the Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge in South Africa.
The programme is also being sponsored by One Yogo, Frooters One Baton and PricelessMom Foundation, with additional support from the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled in the Ashanti Region.