Sports

Education through sports football tourney ends today

A special three-day football tournament, geared at showcasing the skill of players in Ghana and the West Africa sub-region, will end at the new Adjiringanor Astro Turf, East Legon, today with Great Olympics showing class.

Featuring senior, Under-23 and Under-18 teams as well as players from other West African countries, the maiden annual football tournament – dubbed ‘Education through Sports’, have generated a voltage of thrills and excitement.

Players that excelled are expected to be enrolled in colleges abroad and also given the opportunity to pursue their football careers, said a source from Ghana elite side Bechem United FC – which organised the event in collaboration with the Diaspora Africa Forum (DAF) and Miracle Africa International Foundation (MAIF).

In the opening day of the festival, Bechem United hammered African Youth Academy 3-1. Emmanuel Avonyor opened the scoring for Bechem with returnee Augustine Okrah adding the second and Kofi Agbesimah firing home the third goal.

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Accra Great Olympics youth team were held to a goalless draw with tier-two side AC Sondisco in the second game, while Division One side Tudu Mighty Jets also shared the spoils with Bechem United ‘B’ in a very fiery tie.

Yesterday, Olympics pipped Bechem 1-0, while Soccer Bridge and Power Stars drew 0-0 with Mighty Jets winning 2-1 against their opponents. The Under-18 event of the tournament is expected to start this morning.

Head of Mission for DAF, Ambassador Dr Erieka Bennett, was positively optimistic about the project, believing that it would build a sound foundation for the youth.

She noted that the rationale behind the tournament was to give the chance to young footballers to showcase their talent and also offer educational scholarships for young African soccer talents – and make them competitive on the world stage.

“We believe strongly in education whilst trying to offer the youth a future in sports.

“Indeed, combining sports in education can help young footballers to develop a self-motivating spirit to do a lot of positive things on their own,” she emphasised.

Already, scouts from Europe and mostly Francophone West African countries have trooped into the country in a bid to ‘catch’ some talents away.

Executive Assistant to the DAF Ambassador, Ms Abigail Asante Okyere, said DAF launched the‘Education through Sport’ football tournament in an effort to make an impact in society and to showcase what young Africans have to offer.

Among others, the initiative seeks to empower and equip young and talented players with the requisite skills and knowledge to make them competitive on the world stage.

Executive Assistant to the DAF Ambassador, Abigail Asantewaa Okyere, said the event would “showcase and promote some of the best and finest talents in Ghana and West Africa with regard to sports.”

The tournament was climaxed with a dinner at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel yesterday, where awards were presented to deserving players.

BY JOHN VIGAH & LINUS NARTEY SIAW

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