Morocco has pulled out of hosting the maiden African Para Games slated for 26 to 31 January 2020.
The country’s capital city of Rabat was to host the first ever African Para Games to develop the game.
According to a letter from the African Paralympic Committee (APC) sent to the National Paralympic Committee of the various countries, the decision was made due to unresolved issues between the APC and Moroccan authorities.
Morocco accepted to host the African Para Multi-Sport Competition after a protocol agreement was signed in the presence of International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons and African Paralympic Committee President Leonel da Rocha Pinto in April this year.
The African Paralympic Committee was expecting around 1,200 athletes to attend the continent’s maiden Para sport competition and compete across Africa’s seven most-practiced Para sports including athletics, blind football, goalball, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, taekwondo and wheelchair basketball.
Most of the events, would have helped athletes compete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, set to be held between 25 August and 6 September next year.
The African Para Games was separated from the main African Games and the new format, would have placed the All Africa Paralympic Games into the same category, as the main paralympic games, which is organized separately from the Olympic Games.
The African Paralympic Committee now has to work at reschedule the games and possibly change the location and host country.
Source: Africafeeds.com
