In a press conference held at the EPC headquarters, Dr. Hossameldin Mostafa received Samson Deen, African Paralympic Committee (AfPC) president, together with Hayat Khattab, AfPC vice president, senator and former EPC president, and Ahmed Nasser, head of the UCSA (Union des Confederations Sportive Africains) and the Egyptian Triathlon Federation; Deen thanked the EPC for welcoming him in Egypt which he said is one of the pioneering countries in the African continent in Paralympics. He discussed the maiden African Para Games which is to be held in Ghana, his homeland, and highlighted that after long work the dream came true. ‘’We have been waiting for such a moment for years. Africa is a big continent with powerful Paralympians and I am very happy to announce it here in Cairo that we are hosting the first ever African Para Games. We will have seven sports: para powerlifting, athletics, wheelchair basketball, goal ball, amputee football, sitting volleyball and wheelchair tennis. We are targeting 1,536 athletes and all the events will take place in Accra, Ghana, from 3 September to 12 September.” He also gave special thanks to Nasser for supporting the AfPC in making the dream of the Games come true.
Later, Ashraf Sobhi, Egypt’s minister of youth and sports , joined the meeting and gave his full support to the AfPC and the EPC in all future events. ‘’It is an honour for us to be working with the African Paralympic Committee and we are willing to support them in hosting the first ever African Paralympic Games. We have a number of experts and professionals who have been working in this field for years and we are ready to give a hand to anyone. I am also optimistic that the coming African Games will be hosted by Egypt as we have all the sports facilities needed to host any Paralympic event.’’ Sobhi went on to thank Mustafa ‘’for all his efforts and the progress that had taken place in the EPC in such a short time’’ and gave his complete support for hosting the VISTA conference ‘’and to come out in its best version.”
