George Gyamfi Gyasi, an amputee coach, met his untimely death in Norway after leading an 11-member Paralympics team to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon in Oslo.
Gyasi was said to have collapsed and died on April 28, 2024, after the team’s trip to Norway came under investigation for impersonation.
Gyasi’s death was captured in the National Security Council’s statement, giving an account of how the 11-member Paralympic team fled upon arrival in Norway.
However, according to sports journalist Saddick Adams, Gyasi, who led the team, did not collapse; rather, the head coach succumbed to a serious illness that led to his admission to Oslo University Hospital (ULEVAL).
“The scandal came to light after the head coach felt unwell. He couldn’t deal with the weather at the time, so he passed away,” he said on Angel TV.
The Paralympics team has become topical after the president of the National Paralympics Committee, Samson Deen, revealed that the said 11-member team who absconded in Norway forged documents to secure visas and embark on the trip.
“They forged my signature on the letter and applied for visas for some people who have no affiliation with the Ghana Paralympic Team,” he said.
Samson Deen’s explanation came after National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, in a signed letter dated July 3, 2024, reported the incident of 9 of the 11 Paralympic team members being on the run.
The letter noted that the team was expected to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon on April 27, 2024.
However, upon arrival in Norway on April 25, 2024, they failed to register for the competition and thus were not in attendance for the event two days after their arrival. One of the team members was said to have been arrested by Norwegian security officials while on his way to Sweden from Norway.
EE/OGB
Watch Saddick Adams narrate ‘Paralympics team’ Norway scandal