Wheelchair Tennis Association Marks World Disability Day with Junior Training Camp
The Wheelchair Tennis Association, in collaboration with the Ghana Tennis Federation and supported by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), organized a national junior training camp at the Accra Sports Stadium to celebrate the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
Henry Nyanteh Larbi, the National Coordinator for Ghana Tennis Federation and Wheelchair Tennis, who also serves as the General Secretary for the National Paralympic Committee Ghana, highlighted the purpose of the initiative.
"The ITF has a new strategy to be implemented from 2025," Larbi said. "The idea is to recruit young athletes and introduce them to the ITF player pathway, which focuses on developing student-athletes who can excel in wheelchair tennis.
" This initiative targets children aged 10 to 17 years. We’ve created a database of about 30 players, with participants from Kumasi, Western, Brong Ahafo, Koforidua, Cape Coast, and Accra."
Larbi further explained the broader vision behind the training camp. "Our aim is to nurture these young athletes while ensuring they continue their education.
"We plan to expand these training camps to other regions to create a larger pool of junior players who can eventually compete internationally. Today, we have trained coaches working with the athletes to ensure effective development."
He also highlighted the current state of wheelchair tennis in Ghana. "Currently, we have about nine professional wheelchair tennis players representing Ghana at the international level, but some of them are aging. We need to train more players to replace them and secure the future of the sport."
Larbi called on corporate organizations and philanthropic individuals to support the initiative. "We are appealing to corporate Ghana and other benevolent individuals to come on board and help push the agenda forward for wheelchair tennis players," he said.
By: Victoria Nana Adwoa Kwofie
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