Akwatia, (E/R) March 14, GNA - The Acting Eastern Regional Director of Education, Ms Felicia Duku has advised parents to desist from starving their children for going out to play especially soccer. She said parents have major responsibility by supporting their children materially and financially to guide their growth and upbringing and for developing their sporting talents to appreciable international levels.

Ms Duku said this at the opening of a five-day Eastern Regional Basic Schools Sports festival at Akwatia on Tuesday. The schools are competing in two categories of the Boys Under 12 years in soccer, netball, table tennis and athletics while the Under 15 girls will be competing in soccer for the first time. Ms Duku said that since soccer has become a big international business there was the need to put in the requisite investment to be able to reap the expected benefits.

The acting Director said the recent progress made by the country in sports, especially in soccer was the result of excellent structures put in place such as support for the youth programmes. She said she was very happy and felt proud that when it came to juvenile soccer at the Schools and Colleges levels, the Eastern Region comes out on top.

Ms Duku said in 2003, the Region won the national trophy for the Under 12 boys soccer competition, placed second in 2004, were third in 2005 and won silver in 2006.

She said the Region is aiming at grabbing the Gold trophy at the Schools and Colleges Festival at Sunyani this year and urged the sports officials to make impartial selection of players for the event. Ms Duku advised girls with sporting talents to ignore discouraging comments by some people in the society that they would become 93hard and stiff, muscular and manly, barren and infertile" when they take to sports.

She saif such negative comments were false and only meant to discourage them from achieving the best for themselves, their family and the country.

The Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive, Mr Yaw Yiadom-Boakye said that sports not only brings wealth, fame and glory to many but also serves as a unifying force for some countries and communities. He appealed to the participants to be disciplined and put up their best to get selected to represent the Region at the national competition.

In the opening soccer matches, Kwaebibirem Under 12 team beat their East Akyem counterparts two goals to nil whilst the Kwaebibirem Girls Under=9615 team defeated Suhum by a lone goal. 14 March 07