Koforidua, Feb. 20, GNA - The Eastern Regional Athletics Association is to launch an Under-12 athletics youth programme to help unearth talents and groom them into international stars for the country. The Regional Athletics Executive Committee's meeting of the Association discussed modalities of the programme at Koforidua. The programme, which would be launched on a pilot basis this year would involve schools around the Koforidua Sports Stadium to encourage their talented athletic students and pupils to join the programme and train regularly under athletic coaches.

Parents of the children would be encouraged to support their wards while the association provides technical support and some equipment to help enhance the performance of the participants. The Regional Sports Development Officer (RSDO), Mr Francis Kpesenu, in an address at the meeting said the programme would be extended to all the districts in the Region in due course.

Mr Kpesenu said the programme has the capacity to provide quality athletes for the Region and the country in the near future when well developed adding that the successful implementation of the programme would to a large extent however depend on the financial and resource support by the District Assemblies as well as the Regional Co-ordinating Council.