The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has categorically denied any involvement by his ministry in securing visas for a group masquerading as Ghana’s Paralympic team for a marathon event in Oslo, Norway.
According to a statement from the Ministry of National Security, one para-athlete, Nana Antwi, is being held by Norwegian authorities, while the team’s coach, George Gyamfi Gyasi, passed away after being admitted to Oslo University Hospital on April 28, 2024.
At a press conference held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif and the Sports Ministry distanced themselves from the visa controversy and the individuals involved. He explained that typically, associations notify the Sports Ministry through the National Sports Authority about upcoming events, but this procedure was not followed in the case of the impostor Paralympic team.
The minister emphasized that his ministry was not informed about the marathon event and that the team did not travel on behalf of Ghana. “In this Norway case, there was no request made to either the National Sports Authority or the Ministry of Youth and Sports. We were not aware of any event, and the team that went did not represent Ghana as reported.”
Minister Ussif outlined the usual visa application process for athletes, noting that the Sports Ministry collaborates with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure visas and does not directly send letters to embassies. “Normally, we don’t issue letters to embassies; we write to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle it on our behalf. For the record, this fabricated Paralympic team did not represent our country.”
The minister also warned unscrupulous individuals who exploit athletes under the guise of helping them. Meanwhile, the National Paralympic Committee has suspended three people accused of masterminding the affair.
