His Excellency the Ghanaian Ambassador to Japan, Mayor of Inawashiro, Director General of the National Sports Authority, Staff of the Ghana Embassy in Japan, Fellow NPC Board members, People of Inawashiro, Media personnel, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is my deepest gratitude to be a part of this historic ceremony.

This will be the first time we have had a chance to hold discussion with a foreign community to yield such fruits that will go a long way to develop and promote the Paralympic Movement in Ghana.

Indeed, Inawashhiro has given Ghana a lot in the past in the name of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi who through his immense works in the field of medicine brought a lot of enlightenment to Ghana as a country and its people. It is for this reason that the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research was instituted in his honor.

Today again, his birth town Inawashiro has also made history by becoming the first foreign community to open their doors to the Paralympic family from Ghana to embark on a Pre-games camping experience in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games from August to September of 2021.

We will endeavor to utilize this kind gesture shown us to raise the flag of Ghana very high and promote the Inawashiro Township and Japan as a country to the whole world.

I will like to use this opportunity again to thank the Mayor of Inawashiro and his staff for the great efforts they have made in ensuring this collaboration comes to be.

To the Ambassador of Ghana to Japan, I say a very big thank to you Sir for your positive energy and support you have given us anytime we call on you.

I thank you Minister of Youth and Sports and the Director General of the National Sports Authority for the constant support in all our endeavors to develop and promote Para sports.

Last but not the least, Inawashiro town, we say a huge thank you to you for even having the will to engage us on this level through your Mayor, Arigatogozaimashita!!

I again express my gratitude to the Para athletes from Ghana for all their efforts they have put in to ensure that Ghana is represented in this games, their efforts will not go unattended to.

Lastly, I thank the media and all NPC-Ghana board members for their constant support given to athletes and the NPC-Ghana.

We will make Inawashiro proud, we will make Japan proud, we will make Ghana proud.

Thank you

From Sammy Heywood Okine