St. Monica's Secondary School holds annual Inter-Houses athletics competition

Mampong (Ash), Dec 7, GNA - The Medical Superintendent in charge of the Mampong Hospital in Ashanti Region, Dr Emmanuel Ahiable has emphasised the need for school authorities to encourage students to develop interest in sports. He said apart from instilling the spirit of discipline, perseverance, fair play and the urge to win, regular exercises also have immense health benefits for the youth as future leaders.

Dr Ahiable was addressing the closing ceremony of a week-long annual Inter-Houses athletics competition of the St. Monica's Secondary School at Ashanti-Mampong at the weekend. The Medical Superintendent noted that the worrying trend of the high incidence of many non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension as well as heartache related problems and ossify are largely due to secondary lifestyles. He said it was long overdue for the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ghana Education Service to collaborate with the health sector to promote and develop sports for general healthy living.

Dr Ahiable advised the school authority to go beyond making athletics an annual ritual, but that they should endeavour to make it a daily activity by encouraging the students to be active participants. He said the Preventive Health Care programme is now a top priority of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Services that emphasises that exercises and sports as important components of preventive health.

Dr Ahiable advised the students to maintain good personal hygiene and to keep their surroundings clean to avoid the outbreak of cholera and other communicable diseases. The headmistress of the School, Mrs Dorothy Ama Mensa-Ofei commended the students for comporting themselves throughout the competition. Le-Maire House took the overall trophy with 116 points followed by Annex House with 105 points and Daly House third with 95.5 points.