NSA postpones National Sports Festival

The National Planning Committee for the National Sports Festival under the auspices of the National Sports Festival has postponed this year’s edition of the games.

Although the revived games was said to be held annually, the planning committee postponed this year’s games to make way for preparations for the 2019 All Africa Games.

This year’s event was scheduled to take place at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium from Saturday, August 11, 2018 to Saturday, August 18, 2018.

In a statement issued and signed by the chairman of the planning committee, Prof Henry Augustine Pufaa, it said, the change of plans was to give enough time for athletes to prepare adequately for the event.

The statement said, “the GNG, otherwise known as National Sports Festival in collaboration with the NSA wishes to announce to the general public, sporting fraternity and preparing teams, the postponement of the games and a new date to be announced in due course.

“The decision has become necessary to further strengthen our preparations towards the All African Games to be held in Morocco”.

The games, aside helping to unearth talents for the country, it also fosters friendship and promotes unity among persons from different backgrounds across the country.

The national event has produced sports greats such as Azumah Nelson, Ohene Karikari, Alice Anum, Opoku Nti, Francis Dodoo, Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan amongst others.

It went into hibernation for over five years and was revived under the leadership of the then Director-General of the NSA, Robert Sarfo Mensah and held at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.

Greater Accra Region emerged as the overall winner at the 2017 National Sports Festival. The region won most of the indoor games, collecting gold in the men's and women's volleyball, taekwondo (men and women) and handball (men and women).

Central Region came second with their athletes picking up gold in women's table tennis while the men's team claimed a bronze medal in the men's competition as well as bronze in the men's tennis.

Host, Ashanti Region finished third after dominating the track and field events. They won gold in men's 800m, 400m, 4x400m, while the female athletes made a clean sweep of the 100m, 400m, 800m and 4x400m.