Obuasi, February 14, GNA - Miss Sandrine Somiah of Konongo Odumase Secondary School (KOSS) on Tuesday set a new record in the girls 100 metres hurdles with a time of 15.7 seconds at the on-going Ashanti Region Inter Schools and Colleges Athletics competition at the Obuasi Len Clay sports stadium.

She has thus broken the old record of 16.7 seconds set by Abigail Amoah of Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School

In the Boys 1500 metres race, K.T. Moro of Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School took the first position with a time of four minutes 17.5 seconds followed by Solomon Coffie of Obuasi Secondary Technical School (OSECTEC) with a time of four minutes 23.6 seconds, with Akwasi Nsiah of KOSS placing third with a time of four min. 25.9 seconds. In the Girls Division, Sarah Oteng of St. Monica's Secondary School placed first with a time of five minutes 14.5 seconds whilst Salamat Issah of Asokore T.I Ahmadiyya Secondary and Beatrice Appiah of KOSS came second and third respectively.

In the 800 metres boys, Solomon Coffie of OSECTEC made amends when he tops with a time of two minutes 04.5 seconds followed by Richard Osei of Catholic Technical Institute with Khadri Texas Moro of OKESS placing third.

Sarah Oteng of St. Monica's came first with a time of two min. 28.8 seconds in the 800 metres with Mavis Serwaah Darkwa of KOSS coming second while Joyce Azoya placed third.

In the 200 metres Boys event, Christian Afful of KOSS placed first with a time of 23.1 seconds followed by Wahab Adams of Adu Gyamfi Secondary School and George Offeh of KOSS in third position. In the Girls division, Alice Amoah of St Monica's came first in a time of 26.6 seconds followed by Victoria Sarfo Kantanka also of St Monica's at second position and third position taken by Sarah Akyaa of KOSS.

Mr Joseph Kwadwo Boampong, the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive who opened the three-week festival said the time has past when sports at school level was thought to be for only school drop-outs and social misfits.

The Sports festival is expected to be competed amongst over 90 public and private second cycle institutions.

The Municipal Chief Executive said it is regrettable that Ghana was no more a force to reckon with in athletics and said it was about time that "we re-organise ourselves and take up our proper place in sports in Africa and the world at large".

Mr Boampong stressed on discipline and urged both the athletes and the officiating officials to abide by the rules governing the competition.

Mrs Theresa Akua Baah, the Chairman of the Ashanti Region Schools and Colleges Sports Federation said that despite the recent sad incidence of indiscipline characterising such meetings, the competitions were healthy, important and beneficial to the youth and therefore should be encouraged instead of abolishing it.

She appealed to all stakeholders in the development of the youth to appreciate the great value of sports and help educational administrators in eliminating out the destructive menace of indiscipline and violence from such sporting activities by offering more and greater incentives for excellence in sports.