President of the International Olympic Committee, Andrew Parsons has arrived in Ghana for a four-day visit.
His visit to Ghana is the first time the president of IPC is making a visit to West Africa.

Parsons presence in Ghana will also see him attend the ceremony of the African Paralympic Committee, where Ghana’s Samson Deen will be sworn into office as the new president following his election last year in Morocco.

He arrived at the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday, January 4, and was met on arrival by African Paralympic Committee (APC) president, Samson Deen and executives of Ghana’s Paralympic Committee.

Speaking to the media upon his arrival, Parsons in an address to the media said: “It’s a pleasure being here in Ghana, a pleasure being here in Accra. We will have a series of meetings to speak about the development of the paralympic sports in Ghana and Africa after the welcome by the president of the Ghana Paralympic Committee and the president of the African Paralympic Committee, Samson Deen.

“He will have meetings with very high government officials here. We aim to deliver and organise the first-ever African para games, that is the main reason for my visit.”

Deen, who is also the president of Ghana’s Paralympic Committee expressed his happiness in hosting the IPC president.

“I’m happy that we have Parsons here with us. President Parsons is someone who has a passion for the sport. His leadership is proven,” he said.

“If you were in Tokyo, you saw how the whole event was organised. We are looking up to Ghana’s first-ever, that will also be Africa’s first-ever paralympic games and I know with his support we are going to make it.”

“We know we have a very strong president, someone who is passionate when it comes to such activities that he wants to leave a legacy in Africa and the beginning is here – that Ghana will lead that agenda.”

Parsons is expected to pay a courtesy call on the president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, January 5 before meeting the Local Organising Committee of the 2023 African games.