Editor’s Note: This story contains depictions of violence.
Ghana’s wheelchair tennis team has criticized the country’s government, saying they have not received enough support after gunmen attacked Nigeria while on international duty last month.
According to a announcement by Ghana’s Ministry of Sports, the group was attacked near Sagamu, Ogun State in the early hours of February 13. They were traveling by bus after the 2023 BNP Paribas International Tennis World Cup Qualifying Tournament held in Abuja. Three members of the group were injured in the attack.
Unable to afford a hotel in Abuja on the evening of February 12, the group opted to travel overnight on their way back to Lagos when they encountered armed robbers at about 2:30am. local time.
Player Bernard Yawson, who was sitting in the front seat, was hit by the shattered windscreen as he was hit by the bullets and the team was lucky that the speedy driver sped away from the gunmen and out of harm’s way.
The group urged the authorities to ensure proper provisions for disabled athletes, saying they should not be in a dangerous position in the first place and did not have enough money to get home safely afterwards.
“In Ghana we have to set our priorities,” Philip Plange, assistant coach and deputy secretary of the Ghana Accra Tennis Association, told ESPN.
“Following this attack, we will not travel by bus to another country again, unless by air or if the event is held locally.
“We ask to put [the team] on the payroll as a form of compensation because they are not working and earning money other than wheelchair tennis.”
The World Team Cup tournament decides Africa’s wheelchair tennis qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, but the team had to take out its own $1,200 loan to hire a private Nigerian transport company after receiving 800 Ghana cedis per person (about $62) for the duration of the weeklong trip to Nigeria.
“They would never face our national football team — the Black Stars — like that,” Plange added, “but we don’t even get travel insurance.”
While the team received medical attention from the Ghana Ambulance Service on their return to Accra, they have not received any official advice following the traumatic encounter.
“I released the players to go home to their families,” added Plange. “They really needed to see them back safe and sound.
“Stacey [Konadu Mensah] and Zinabu [Issah] had a minor [injuries] but his Bernard is deep,” Plange added. “I’m stressed and frustrated with the whole thing.”
According to wheelchair tennis coordinator Henry Larbi, who contributed personally financially to support the team, the senior executive director of ITF tours and player pathway Jackie Nesbitt has written to the Ghana Tennis Federation to encourage player protection and providing safe transportation when traveling to events.
“It was an unfortunate incident and they could have lost their lives,” Larbi told ESPN. “The main issue is the lack of funding for Para Sports in Ghana.
“We hope the government of Ghana will pay more attention to wheelchair tennis in Ghana, although some media houses in Ghana have gathered [money] for the group, which was used for medical care.’
Ghana’s women finished second in the round-robin competition at the tournament before losing to Tanzania in the third-place play-off, while the men’s team finished fifth in their event after a play-off win over Cameroon.