Port Harcourt – Misbahu Lawan, President, Para-Soccer Federation of Nigeria (PSFN) said on Sunday that Para-soccer has been positively impacting the lives of the physically challenged.

Lawan, who is also the National Chairman, Polio Survivors of Nigeria (PSN), said in Port Harcourt that Nigerians no longer see them as beggars.

He said that people had looked down on them because of their disability but all that had changed because of para-soccer.

WALE, AN OSUN PARA-SOCCER STRIKER, BREAKING THROUGH THE OPPONENTS’DEFENCE DURING THE OPENING
MATCH BETWEEN OSUN AND KWARA AT THE ONGOING 3RD WORLD POLIO DAY NATIONAL PARA-SOCCER TOURNAMENT IN ABUJA.
OSUN WON 3-0.

“Initially people looked down on any person with disability. The only thing Nigerians knew then was, once you are disabled, you are a beggar.

“With this game, the attitude of people has changed on the issue of disability, especially looking at us as a people who can entertain others and contribute to the development of Nigeria,’’ he said.

According to Lawan, apart from employment many people with disability have got through the sport, it has also made them to engage in other businesses with income from the game.

“The pain with disability in Nigeria has dropped because some of us have got employment, running private businesses and are highly educated.

“A lot of people with disability in the country are professors. That is to tell that we have changed from the negative way to the positive,’’ he added.

Lawan said that as a collective group of people with disability, they were determined to promote the image of Nigeria.

“All stakeholders believe that we should continue working to ensure that we promote the image of this country at all levels we can as our contribution,’’ he said.