The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Eric Opoku, has donated GH¢50,000 to Ghana’s national amputee football team, the Black Challenge, to support their preparations for the 2026 World Amputee Football World Cup in Mexico.
Beyond the financial contribution, the minister has pledged a comprehensive poultry enterprise package for eight locally based players, demonstrating the government’s commitment to supporting the team’s international campaign while creating sustainable economic opportunities for the athletes beyond football.
The proposed package will be provided under the government’s Nkoko Nketenkete poultry programme and will include battery cages, laying birds, poultry feed and technical expertise to enable the beneficiaries to establish and operate their own poultry businesses.
Hon. Opoku announced the donation and support package during a visit to the team’s training session at the University of Ghana.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Setor Dumelo, the ministry’s Chief Director and its budget officer.
Addressing the players, the minister reaffirmed the nation’s support for their World Cup campaign and encouraged them to approach the competition with confidence and determination.
“You are going to hold the flag of Ghana, and our presence here indicates that the whole nation is behind you,” he told the team.
He urged the players to believe in their abilities, remain focused on their preparations and represent Ghana with pride on the international stage.
“You are stronger than you know,” he said, encouraging them to make the country proud.
The GH¢50,000 contribution from Hon. Opoku provides an additional financial boost to the Black Challenge as they prepare for the global competition.
His donation follows a GH¢100,000 contribution from Ghanaian dancehall artiste Stonebwoy, bringing the combined support from the two individuals to GH¢150,000.
The minister noted that the team needed both financial and motivational support to prepare adequately for the tournament, stressing that their participation represented an opportunity to showcase Ghana’s sporting talent and national pride.
His visit underscored the importance of collective support for the team as the players prepare to compete against some of the world’s best amputee football sides.
In a significant commitment extending beyond the World Cup, Mr Opoku announced that eight players based in Ghana would be supported to establish poultry enterprises upon their return from Mexico.
The minister explained that he had been informed that the team comprised eight locally based players and seven others based in Turkey.
He subsequently invited the Ghana-based players to participate in the government’s Nkoko Nketenkete poultry programme, assuring them that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would put together a special package to help them establish their businesses.
“The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is putting together a special package, so as soon as you return, get in touch with us,” he said.
He added that Hon. John Setor Dumelo would coordinate the process to ensure the players could access the promised assistance.
Outlining the package, Hon. Opoku said the ministry would provide battery cages, laying birds, poultry feed and the necessary technical expertise to help the beneficiaries begin poultry production.
The initiative is intended to give the players a sustainable source of income while enabling them to contribute to Ghana’s domestic poultry industry.
The minister emphasised the importance of helping the athletes build livelihoods that would support them and their families beyond their immediate sporting careers.
Hon. Opoku’s commitment reflects an approach that combines sports development with economic empowerment, using the government’s agricultural programmes to create opportunities for athletes to become entrepreneurs and food producers.
The proposed support under the Nkoko Nketenkete initiative will offer the eight players an opportunity to venture into poultry farming with the benefit of essential equipment, production inputs and technical guidance.
The programme forms part of the broader Feed Ghana Programme, launched by President John Dramani Mahama, which seeks to strengthen domestic food production, improve food security and increase household incomes.
By extending the initiative to members of the Black Challenge, the ministry is seeking to demonstrate how agricultural interventions can support people in different sectors of society, including athletes with disabilities.
With appropriate training, accessible facilities and sustained technical support, the proposed poultry enterprises could help the beneficiaries develop viable businesses while contributing to national efforts to increase local poultry production.
The minister’s pledge also highlights the potential for collaboration between the sports and agricultural sectors to provide athletes with opportunities for economic independence alongside their sporting ambitions.
BLACK CHALLENGE PREPARE FOR WORLD CUP CHALLENGE
Ghana’s Black Challenge will compete in the 2026 World Amputee Football Federation World Cup, scheduled for November 13–22 in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico.
The team has been drawn in Group D alongside Angola, Colombia and Iraq, with 24 national teams expected to compete for the championship.
As preparations intensify, the financial contribution and proposed poultry enterprise package from Hon. Opoku provide two forms of support: immediate assistance for the team’s World Cup campaign and a commitment to longer-term economic opportunities for Ghana-based players.
The eight locally based players have been asked to contact the ministry after returning from Mexico to facilitate arrangements for the proposed poultry enterprises.
Hon. Opoku assured the team of the country’s backing, reiterating that the players would be representing Ghana and carrying the hopes of the nation into the competition.
“You have the full support of the entire citizenry of this country,” he assured them.
