The Ghana Deaf Football Association (GDFA) has approved and adopted a new constitution for the association’s operations.

The exercise will thus pave the way for the GDFA’s Elective Congress to put in place a new Executive Committee responsible for the management and administration of the association.

Saturday’s exercise was attended by club owners and coaches from the regions.

They debated and made suggestions to the reviewed constitution before it was finally approved and adopted.

The new constitution, among others, clearly defined the roles of the Head Coach and his Assistant for the national deaf football team, the Black Wonders, the Team Manager and sanctioned the formation of a new welfare committee.

It also defined the outlook of the new executive which would be headed by a deaf person and assisted by a hearing person, a hearing Secretary General to be appointed by the National Sports Authority (NSA), a deaf Deputy Secretary General, a hearing Treasurer, a hearing Public Relations Officer and three Executive Members to represent a soon to be formed Deaf Football Clubs (DFC).

Addressing the delegates, Mr. Matthew Kubachua, President of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), congratulated the members for the peaceful manner they conducted the exercise.

He said sports provides hope for the deaf and was important for members to always put their differences aside and find ways to develop it among the deaf.

Mr. Kubachua said their condition puts them in a disadvantaged position but reminded that ‘if we get the needed support from our hearing brothers and sisters, our lives can improve tremendously. This is the reason why I find the inclusion of hearing people in your executive committee as a right move.’

“The deaf community has been neglected over the years but while we sit and wait for help to come, we can also do something for ourselves by promoting sports, an area that offers many job opportunities for the deaf.”

Head Coach of the deaf football team, Winfred Chartey Annan urged the deaf people to rise to the challenge, saying, and ‘deaf football is for deaf people so work very hard to put yourself in the limelight to attract support from government and corporate Ghana.’

BY ANDREW NORTEY