The family of George Gyamfi Gyasi, the late coach of Ghana’s Paralympic team, has strongly refuted allegations that they absconded after travelling to Norway to retrieve his body.
Felix Kwame Gyasi, the deceased’s brother, has dismissed recent claims as “unguarded and unverified,” emphasizing that the situation was more complex than reported. Gyasi returned to Ghana from Turkey in February 2024 due to health issues and intended to return to Europe. However, he postponed his trip following a family bereavement.
He later travelled to Norway, where he suffered a health crisis and subsequently passed away. The family encountered difficulties in securing visas for relatives to manage the repatriation process, which led them to opt for cremation.
“His wife and a close associate, who had planned to oversee the transportation of the body, were denied visas by the Norwegian embassy in Accra,” the statement from the family noted. “The family thus decided to have the body cremated and the ashes sent to Ghana. We did not send a delegation to Norway for this purpose.”
The family’s response addresses claims made by Samson Deen, President of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC)-Ghana, who alleged that four relatives sent to Norway to retrieve Gyasi’s body had disappeared. This controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of NPC-Ghana following the disappearance of several athletes scheduled to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon.
Reports indicate that 11 athletes were unaccounted for and failed to register for the marathon, prompting widespread criticism and raising concerns about the management of Ghana’s Paralympic delegation.
