As the country’s national deaf football team prepares for the 9th edition of the West African Deaf Football tournament, holding from September 3 – 12, 2019 in Sierra Leone, the national team coach, Kamiludeen Banjo, has made a passionate appeal to government and corporate organisations to extend financial assistance to the team, as they prepare to do the country proud in the tournament, which they have won four times.
The team last won the trophy in 2017 but lost to defending champions, Mali in 2018 but Banjo believes that with adequate support, they will win the trophy a record five times.
He stated that they will be starting their camping in Lagos on August 16 but was quick to add that funding might affect their preparation for the games as information reaching him indicates that the other seven participating nations have intensified their preparation towards winning the trophy.
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“The national deaf team is ready to go to Sierra- Leone and win the trophy a record five times and that is why we’re beginning our camping on August 16 . But we need the financial backing of the Federal Ministry of Sports and football lovers to make this a reality.
‘My players are eagerly looking forward to the tournament and equally hoping that the government will recognize all their efforts in winning laurels for the country in the past and that is why we’re making this appeal,” he stated.
Banjo while promising that his players are in good mood to lift the trophy was emphatic that adequate motivation is all they need to do the country proud in Freetown, lamenting that apart from few private individuals, no serious government support has been received by the team with an appeal to relevant authorities to do the needful and make the players not feel neglected because of their disability.
