Kumasi, (Ashanti Region) 14 Sept.,

Greater Accra Region collected 15 Gold, 23 Silver and 17 Bronze medals to emerge the overall winners of the week- long National Sports Festival which ended in Kumasi yesterday. Prison Service came second with 11 Gold, five Silver and eight Bronze, while Ashanti Region placed third with eight Gold, 12 Silver and 10 Bronze. The fourth position went to Eastern Region, who collected eight Gold and eight Bronze, Police Service placed fifth with six Gold, 11 Silver and seven Bronze while Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) were sixth with six Gold, five Silver and four Bronze. Western Region placed seventh with six Gold, two Silver and one Bronze, Fire Service was eighth with four Gold, four Silver and one Bronze, Armed Forces were ninth and had two Gold, one Silver and three Bronze while Immigration Service came 10th with two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze. The Universities combined team (GUSA) was 11th with one Gold, two Silver and one Bronze and were followed by Brong Ahafo with one Gold, one Silver and two Bronze at the 12th position with Volta Region placing 13th with one Gold and two Bronze. Northern and Upper East Regions tied at the 14th position with one Silver and three Bronze each, Central Region followed at the 16th place with one Silver and one Bronze and Upper West Region placed 17th with a Bronze. Closing the festival, Mr. Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ashanti Regional Minister called on the youth to take advantage of the reactivation of the festival and venture into the sporting field which offers good job opportunities. He said sports has now become a lucrative profession into which the youth can invest and reap returns, adding, ''all it takes is your physique, your talent, your level of discipline and your ability to train without ceasing''. Mr. Agyekum said the provision of sports infrastructure and equipment are very expensive and ''the government alone cannot afford the expenditure needed to provide them.'' He asked private investors, individuals and corporate bodies to take advantage of the tax reliefs granted by the government to help develop the nation's sports through sponsorships.