Jamasi (Ash), Jan 8, GNA - Afigya-Sekyere District played a determined game to beat Sekyere East 1-0 in the opening match of this year's Ashanti Region inter-district primary schools Under-12 sports festival at the Adu-Gyamfi Secondary School park at Jamasi near Agona on Monday.

All the 18 districts are participating in the weeklong festival, which is being hosted by the Afigya-Sekyere district for the first time. The participating districts are competing in soccer, netball and table tennis.

The opening match was watched by a number of dignitaries including the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr Kofi Britwum and District Directors of Education.

The defending soccer champions, Adansi-West and Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma (BAK) qualified to the next stage of the competition when Adansi-West thrashed Amansie West 3-0 and drew 1-1 with Kumasi Metro while BAK accounted for Sekyere West and Offinso districts to qualify to the next stage of the competition.

In a speech read for him to open the festival, Mr Ben Abankwa, the Afigya-Sekyere District Chief Executive, drew attention to the importance of sports, adding that international fame and recognition are no longer achieved through wars of conquest but "through such competitive enterprises as sports".

He said the Afigya-Sekyere District Assembly is doing everything possible to contribute financially to the development of sports in the district.

Mr Abankwa appealed to the sports boys and girls to exhibit a high sense of sportsmanship throughout the festival.

Mr K.F. Prah, the host District Director of Education in a welcome address, appealed to both government and non-governmental organisations to help raise the standard of sports in schools by donating generously to "make our sports development dreams become a reality".