body-container-line-1
04.04.2006 Sports News

Inter Collegiate Games opens at Jasikan

04.04.2006 LISTEN
By GNA

Jasikan (V/R), April 4, GNA - Heads of educational institutions and the Ghana Education Service (GES) have been urged to commit more resources towards sports development in their quest to improve educational standards in the country.

"Whiles government is channelling so much resources at the school level to uplift sports from its present level, it behoves on sporting officials, school authorities and the GES to demonstrate decorum to avoid relegating sports to the background".

Mr Joseph Nayan, Deputy Volta Regional Minister made these remarks at the seventh Volta Region Training Colleges Inter-Collegiate Sports and Games Festival at Jasikan.

The week-long fiesta has Jasikan, Dambai, St Theresa, St Francis, Peki, Amedzofe and Akatsi Training Colleges competing in soccer, basketball, volleyball, netball, table tennis, cross country and athletics. The Deputy Minister said sports development and management continue to be a major pre-occupation of the government and regretted that despite the support, sports activities have taken a downward trend.

Mr Nayan said it is for the development of sports that government has absorbed the payment of sports development fees of pupils to show its commitment to sports development from the basic level.

The Deputy Minister therefore pledged the support of Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) and the District Assemblies in the region of assisting in diverse ways to support and develop sports and physical education.

Mr Nayan called on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), individuals and corporate bodies to come on board for the development and the provision of requisite infrastructure and sponsorship packages for a full take-off of sports.

He paid glowing tribute to Ignatius Gaisah, Majete Fetrie and Awisome Yekeni for raising the flag of Ghana high at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr Nayan told the participants that "you must be magnanimous in victory and gallant in defeat" and appealed to officials to be circumspect in dealing with the athletes to build their interest and potentials in the various sporting disciplines.

Mr Solomon Donkor, the Jasikan District Chief Executive (DCE) said the Assembly has completed the surface dressing of the basketball, volleyball and netball courts at a cost of 150 million cedis as its contribution to the successful hosting of the Gmes. He urged the participants to be disciplined and eschew anti-social traits, which could spark hooliganism and vandalism. In the opening football match, Jasikan Training College triumphed over their Dambai counterparts with a 7 -6 win in the penalty shoot-out after a barren game in regulation time. 04 April 06

body-container-line