Taekwondo para-athlete targets Ghana’s first medal from 2024 Paralympic Games
Ghana’s sole participant in para taekwondo at the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics, Patricia Kyeremaa, is poised to make Ghana proud at the championship on her debut.
Ms Kyeremaa told the Times Sports in an interview that she was determined to make the nation proud at the championship slated for August 28 to September 8 in France.
“I see this as an opportunity to make my coaches and administrators proud because they have done so much for me. I have not been in this sport for long, but the exposure they have given me is marvelous. It is payback time for me,” she said.
Ms Kyeremaa is the first para taekwondo athlete from Ghana set to appear at the Paralympics since its inception.
As a K44 athlete, she would participate in the +65 weight division.
She is currently in residential camping under the technical guidance of Coach George Ablomoti.
In the interview, Ms Kyerewaa stated that her participation in the Korea Ambassador’s championship, Africa championship in Niger and the Paris Grand Prix seems to have strengthen her to resolve and win a medal for Ghana.
“I have not been in this for that long but I am very confident something good would come out of this. I am not scared; I don’t fear any of these athletes. They were the same people I met at the world championship.”
Kyeremaa’s participation was made possible through a successful application for a World Taekwondo Wild Card by the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF), having failed to annex any of the tickets made available at the qualifiers held in Senegal.
This, according to Kyerewaa, would not deter her from eyeing the ultimate in the weight division, saying, “I am extremely confident about winning a medal, preferably gold at the championship to make
Ghana proud.”
Kyerewaa has dominated the +65kg category since joining in 2017, winning two gold and a silver medals in the Korea Ambassador Taekwondo Championship held annually and a gold medal in the African Championship in 2022.
She is among a number of para-athletes expected to travel to France soon to intensify preparation for the Games opened to para-athletes in the world over.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
