“International Shame”: How Paralympic ‘Imposters’ in Norway Have Affected Ghana’s Image Abroad

• Ghana is fast earning a notorious reputation of international shame after various episodes of sporting scandals
• The latest scandalous moment occasioned by a 'fake' Paralympic team has added to the growing smear bedevilling the country
• Sharing his thoughts, a CAF-accredited sports journalist believes that public embarrassments of such kind paint the nation black

A 'fake' Paralympic team that was supposed to represent Ghana at a marathon in Norway absconded.

The 11-member team, which had travelled to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon, vanished upon arrival in Oslo.

One member was arrested attempting to enter Sweden, while the team's coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, tragically passed away at Oslo University Hospital, as noted by Citi Sports.

To make matters worse, Samson Deen, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ghana (NPC-Ghana), revealed that four relatives of the deceased coach, sent to retrieve his body, also disappeared after landing in the Scandinavian country, Graphic Online reports.

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Chronicling Ghana's embarrassing sporting scandals

Primarily known as a football powerhouse, Ghana, has also seen success in various sports over the years.

However, these achievements are often overshadowed by scandals that bring international embarrassment.

One notorious incident occurred in 2009 when a supposed deaf and dumb team invited to Australia for a football tournament was caught singing after a victory.

The team members were revealed to be able-bodied individuals who were neither deaf nor dumb.

In another embarrassing episode in 2018, several Ghanaians posed as journalists to gain entry to the Commonwealth Games, facilitated by officials from the National Sports Authority (NSA).

Australian authorities caught and deported eight of them.

How the latest Paralympic scandal brought shame to Ghana

This latest scandal further tarnishes Ghana's international reputation.

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In light of these events, YEN.com.gh consulted CAF-accredited sports journalist Awal Mohammed Hudu for insights on how such scandals impact the country's image.

"First of all, it has brought international shame to our country [Ghana] as the story on Western media platforms," he began.

"Specifically, during the week, I was interviewed by Radio France International on this issue.

"The interview paints a bad picture of the desperation of many Ghanaians to leave the country," Hudu stressed.

Ghana minister blames Norwegian embassy for Paralympic scandal

In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh noted that Sports Minister Mustapha Yusif criticised the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana for failing to properly vet the para-cycling team members who disappeared in Oslo.

Yusif stated he would not take responsibility for the incident.

At a news conference in Accra, he mentioned that the Norwegian embassy did not verify the team members' identities with the sports ministry.

Source: YEN.com.gh