Athletes advised to avoid performance-enhancing drugs

Yendi, (N/R), Feb 25, GNA - Mr. Mohammed Habib Tijani, Yendi District Chief Executive has advised sportsmen and women especially students to desist from using performance-enhancing drugs so as to protect their future and health status.

He said the use of drugs by internationally acclaimed athletes had led to their indiscipline and downfall in the field of sports and cautioned Ghanaian athletes not to follow the practice. Mr. Tijani said this at the closing ceremony of the 32nd annual Inter-Houses Athletics competition of Yendi Secondary School at Yendi on Friday.

Kpatuya House emerged winners with 274 points followed by Teviu House with 262 points while Nkrumah House and Ya-Na House won 243 points and 145 points to take the third and fourth places respectively in the Boys division.

Abu Razak of Ya-Na House won the best soccer player award with Ya-Na House also adjudged the best-behaved House.

Ya-Na House also won the Girls soccer competition while Kpatuya House took the Boys soccer award.

In the Girls division, Kpatuya House again emerged the overall winners with 128 points with Teviu House placing second with 154 points while Nkrumah House and Ya-na House took the third and fourth positions with 103 and 54 points.

No new records were set in the two-day competition. Mr Daniel Ningebuoro Paali, the Headmaster said the competition was organised to select the school's best athletes to represent the "Zone Six" Secondary Schools festival to be hosted by Yendi Secondary School. He said the school had spent about 13 million cedis out of its scanty resources to purchase sports equipment for the Inter-Houses and zonal athletics competition scheduled to start from March 7 to March 13. He therefore appealed to Non-Governmental Organisations, PTAs and individuals to donate towards the maintenance of the team during its camping season.

Mr Alfred Adudu Sey, Assistant Yendi District Director of Education advised parents to disabuse their minds of the perception that sports is meant for the untalented.

He said: "Apart from making a livelihood out of sports, games also inculcate discipline, team spirit and tolerance among sportsmen". Mr Sey advised the youth to desist from indiscriminate sex to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. 25 Feb. 05