Kumasi, April 7, GNA - Ghana will join South Africa as the only two countries from Africa which are privileged to be invited to this year's International Children's Games scheduled for July 6-11 in the City of Coventry, United Kingdom.

Ghana will be represented by Kumasi, which has been selected against the backdrop of its brilliant performance at last year's games in the United States.

A release issued in Kumasi on Wednesday and signed by Opanin Kwaku Kyei, Programme Consultant for the Inter-City Project of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), said some 1,250 young competitors between the ages of 12 and 15 are expected to participate in the games. The release noted that the games would attract further 250 teams' officials and delegations from 70 competing cities spanning 50 nations and five continents who will be competing for honours in football, athletics, table tennis and lawn tennis with the view to unearthing talents in the various disciplines for future International Olympic Games and various world championship.

The United Kingdom is staging the games for the first time since it began in 1968 and Coventry being the host city will be fielding a team of young athletes to compete against the world's best. The release said the International Children's Games, which has been nominated for a Noble Peace Prize is the world's largest international multi-sport youth games and is recognised by the International Olympic Committee.