"We need the support of the country and the corporate world because Ghana must win medals at the Paralympic Games, and when it comes motivation, it is very low and hard from the athletes"

"I have been financing all my trips and training but I don't complain but now we must make history in Tokyo"

These are the words of Ghana's to Para athlete, Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe when we asked him about his preparations towards the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Ghanaian para-athlete, Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe who is the current Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Sports Personality of the year 2019 has secured qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games after winning the T54 World Wheelchair 100m race with his new personal best of 14.22 seconds at the Desert Challenge Games in Arizona, USA.

Raphael easily won the T54 World Wheelchair 100m race which has given him an automatic qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and also makes him the second Ghanaian para-athlete to qualify for the world championships, after blind cyclist Fred Assor.

He told Yours Truly, things are not smooth and best for him as he prepares and prays that the government and companies associated with sports come to the aid of athletes, officials and National Paralympic Committee (NPC).

The T54 Wheelchair Race is a disability sport classification for differently abled athletics in the track and jump events. The class includes people with spinal cord injuries who compete using a wheelchair in track events. They have paraplegia but have normal hand and arm function, normal or limited trunk function, and no leg function.

Raphael was captain of Team Ghana at the last Commonwealth Games and his experience makes him a favorite for a Medal in Japan.

He has planned to intensify his training programme at Cape Coast, and sincerely appeals for support.

We, as progressive media join the top disabled athlete to appeal to corporate Ghana and individuals to support Team Ghana at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

By Sammy Heywood Okine