Yamfo Vocational Training Institute emerged champions of the first ever Brong-Ahafo Region Vocational and Technical Sports Association (VOTESA) football gala when they beat Methodist Technical in a penalty shoot-out after the two sides settled for a barren draw in regulation time at the Sunyani Coronation Park.
The maiden competition, which exposed individual skills and team work lived up to the association’s core objective of unearthing and developing hidden talents among the students, as well as using sports to attract the youth to enroll in the various vocational and technical institutions to learn various trades.
The nine participating institutions included the Car Mechanic Training Center, Social Welfare Vocational Center, Saint Vitus Technical Senior High School, all in Sunyani, Dormaa Vocational Training Institute and Bechem Business College.
The others were Yamfo Vocational Training Institute, Methodist Technical Institute, Community Technical Institute and Community Development Vocational Institute, also from Sunyani.
Mr Smart Aziblame, Treasurer of VETOSA, who is also the Sports Master of Yamfo Vocational Training Institute in an interview with GNA Sports after the final match expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the competition and thanked all for the support.
He also congratulated his school's team with the support of the coach for ensuring they won the championship and called on government, corporate bodies and benevolent associations, as well as NGOs to support the association both in kind and in cash to develop the sporting talents of the students.
Mr Aziblame urged other Vocational and Technical Institutions in the Region to join the VETOSA to help raise the image of the institutions and to help produce quality athletes.
Meanwhile some students who spoke to GNA Sports expressed relief and enthusiasm about the competition, saying, “we are more than happy with the establishment of VOTESA, since we have been sidelined in Inter-Schools Sports activities with the so-called ‘age-limit’ criteria as an excuse for so long”.
“We are going to comport ourselves well in order to acquire skills and other professions for our future events”, they added.**
