Sports festival was a success - NSC boss

Accra, June 29, GNA - The National Sports Council (NSC) has described the just ended National Sports Festival (NSF) as very successful despite some minor difficulties experienced during the seven-day event. Speaking to the GNA Sports, Mr Albert Agbozo, Acting Chief Executive of the NSC said though they had limited time for preparations as well as some transportation problems, they were able to embark on a successful competition and organisation.

The NSF was last held in 1997, but was revived this year at Kumasi with the Greater Accra Region emerging as the overall champions. Mr Agbozo said, "Considering the fact this is the first time after six years that the event is being revived, we are satisfied with what has been achieved so far and I hope we can improve upon it next year". The Acting Chief Executive said the success of the Festival this year is an indication that the subsequent ones would witness much improvement.

According to Mr Agbozo, the NSC will hold a meeting with all the Regional Sports Organisers next week to embark on a post mortem of the Festival.

He said the meeting would take a special look at the performance of the sports men and women selected at the Festival and find ways of helping them to nurture their talents.

The Acting Chief Executive said they would also consider increasing the number disciplines for the Festival next year to attract more talents and open up other avenues.

Mr Agbozo added that the meeting would also seek ways of preventing some of the problems they encountered in the organisation of this years' event since they are bent on having a better Festival next time. He therefore called on all stakeholders to come to the aid of the NSC in sustaining the Festival, adding that the event has come to stay. The Festival, which saw all the ten regions participating alongside the security services and the Ghana University Sports Associations (GUSA), was under the theme "Sports for Health, Unity and Peace" ended in Kumasi last Sunday.

The teams competed in football, handball, athletics, hockey and netball.