Tamale, Oct.5, GNA - Last Sunday was a turning point in recent times in the history of Dagbon when large numbers of the youth from different political, chieftaincy and ethnic divides came together to participate in an "Owari' friendly competition in Tamale.

The occasion brought together the youth from Damongo in the West Gonja, Yendi, Tolon/Kumbungu and Savelugu /Nanton Districts and the Tamale Metropolitan Area to compete in the game organized by Radio Justice, a local FM Station in the Tamale Metropolis.

The game forms part of Radio Justice social commitment to the youth in the area and is in fulfillment of its mission statement of ensuring "social cohesion and affordable entertainment".

Speaking to the GNA Sports, Mr Zakaria Safianu, organizing Secretary of the games said the games were organized to bring together the youth in the communities to fraternize and ensure peaceful co-existence in their areas.

He said the game of "Owari" as a traditional sport has been in existence for the past years but it has seen less recognition as an African game that has the potential of creating avenue for uniting the people.

He said Radio Justice has envisioned that the game of "Owari" would become a national sport that would be given its due recognition and competed for by the Regions.

Mr Safianu said it was therefore for this reason that the station has embarked on the exercise to unearth talents for the Region to prepare for any competitions.

He said other games such as "playing cards" would be organised for competitors from the Districts with a Regional forum to be organized later next year.

Twenty-two competitors participated in the game with Mr Issah Fuseini Juna emerging as the overall winner and the best player of the tournament while Mr. Seidu Yakubu took the first runner-up position.

Mr Abdul Rahman Baba took the second runner-up position with Mr Baba Zomi adjudged as the most promising player and Mr Abdul-Rasheed Zoss winning the Fair Play prize. The winners took home various prizes and certificates.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Mr E.A. Hammond, Northern Regional Manager of Ghana Tourist Board commended Radio Justice for organizing the forum and called for more of such games to unearth talents for the Region in all the sporting disciplines.

He called on people of the Region to pool their resources to market the rich culture of the area to promote the development of tourism in their communities.

Mr. Hammond pledged his outfit's support for any of such games to make the Northern Region the "centre of culture and traditional games" and urged the youth to maintain their culture and desist from imitating other people's cultures. 05 Oct. 04