The Ghana Badminton Association on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Special Olympics Ghana at the Dome, Borteyman Sports Complex, in a landmark move to expand badminton to persons with intellectual disabilities.
The partnership aims to create a clear development pathway for inclusive badminton in Ghana, with training for coaches, teachers and athletes.
President of Ghana Badminton, Evans Yeboah, said the agreement was the result of deliberate development initiatives by the federation.
“Our development initiatives have culminated in bringing together partners to be able to have that pathway in growing our sport.”
Yeboah highlighted para badminton as a key part of the sport’s future.
“In liaising with that there’s an aspect of badminton which is entitled para badminton. So badminton is for all persons, it’s for all race, it’s for all ages and all gender. So in liaising with that we found a partner which is remarkable in our development pathway and that partner is Special Olympics.”
As part of the MOU, Ghana Badminton will serve as mentors and train Special Olympics teachers through its collaboration with the Badminton World Federation and the Badminton Confederation of Africa.
“We have meant to be mentors and be able to train Special Olympics teachers on our Badminton Ghana and our BWF collaboration with our Confederation of Africa of that particular teaching course to enable Special Olympics to have a deeper understanding and a deeper path of teaching badminton across intellectual disabilities.”
Yeboah said the partnership positions Ghana to compete on the global stage.
“We pivot to projecting Ghana Badminton, Badminton Confederation of Africa, Badminton World Federation, Special Olympics International and this particular initiative today is something welcoming.
This MOU that today we have signed will usher us to a greater path across fostering for intellectual disability promotion in sports.
Next year is a big one and we know that Team Ghana will be represented in intellectual disabilities and we will be working with Special Olympics Ghana in developing such pathway for our own athletes, our own kids, our own sons and daughters.”
Chairman of Special Olympics Ghana, Dr. Ebenezer Owusu, described the day as a milestone.
“For us Special Olympics Ghana, today is another milestone in the annals of Special Olympics Ghana. In the Special Olympics, our defining focus includes year-round sports and then health training. We do organize sports for persons with learning disability, like year-round sports.
So now that we have signed MOU of badminton in Ghana, it means we are going to have another sport that we can organize for you people.”
Speaking directly to athletes, Dr. Owusu noted:
“I’ve been told that you have gone through the rudiments of badminton, even how to handle the racket, hitting things around. And you know, badminton is a fast-paced racket sport. So to keep you active, it’s not a sport that you go there and you are just not moving around, keeping you at one place.”
Board member of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Kamal Sulley, commended Ghana Badminton and urged other federations to follow suit.
“Badminton has shown the way that sports is inclusive. No one should be left behind. With this kind of collaboration, I urge all federations to collaborate to emulate what Badminton has done so far.
I’m very, very excited to be here, to see kids from Special Olympics, and the partnership arrangement between the Special Olympics and Ghana Badminton.”
The MOU is expected to roll out training programs, school clinics and national competitions for athletes with intellectual disabilities in the coming months.
