Players of Paradise Club Para-Soccer team in Calabar have appealed to the Minister of Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare to include para-soccer in the forthcoming National Sports Festival (NSF) to be held in Edo.
The team made the appeal at the end of their inter-club competitive match on Thursday to mark the 2020 World Disability Day in Calabar.
The World Disability Day is commemorated annually on Dec. 3 to raise awareness on disability issues in society; the theme for 2020 is “building back better: towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world by, for and with persons with disabilities.
Speaking after the match, the Captain of the club, Sas Gambo said they were sad to learn that they would not be in Edo for the Sports Festival.
“We were there during the Festival in Lagos and Abuja but excluded from the Rivers edition, and now our place has been given to another sport in the Edo edition.
“It is not fair, We need encouragement and exposure, we plead with the minister to rethink the decision to exclude us,” he said.
Gambo also used the opportunity to appeal for sponsors, groups or individuals to come to their aid.
He added that since they didn’t have rich members among them, they sponsored themselves to maintain the club even though, once in a while they get some individuals coming to buy them slippers, balls and water to drink during their training sessions. (NAN)