Para-Soccer players in Calabar, Cross River State have demanded for financial assistance from well-meaning Nigerians to enable them to compete favourably with their counterparts in other states.
Para-soccer is the physically challenged own version of football played by mostly survivors of polio.
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It was invented by a survivor of polio and incumbent president of Para-Soccer Federation of Nigeria, Alhaji Mishabu Lawan Didi in Lagos over 25 years ago.
In a chat with some members of the Cross River State para-soccer team during their training session at the Zoo Botanical Garden parking lots, the players said as a way of sustaining themselves and to sustain the club, they usually go to highways whenever there is traffic gridlock to beg for money to buy jerseys, balls and other items.
Vice-chairman of the team, Jibrin Abdullah who spoke for the captain Sas Gambo who was away in Abuja, said they are over 40 polio survivors in number in the club and they train twice a week in the evening.
He said they play competitive soccer amongst themselves since there are no other Para-Soccer clubs in the state.
“We do play competitive games amongst ourselves. However, we play serious games during big Sallah celebrations. We played on National Independence Day, 1st October 2020 before a huge crowd in Calabar.
“We hope to travel to Abuja to compete very soon to compete in a major Para-Soccer tournament.”
Abdullahi said that the commissioner for sports in the state, Chief Ofu Aya has watched them play and has promised to register them with the state sports council.
He, therefore, appealed to public-spirited individuals, groups and governments to come to their aid.
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