Accra, June 14, GNA - Mr Albert Agbozo, Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) has said that the revival of the National Sports Festival will increase the talent reservoir of the nation and help in the general development of sports in the country.

He said the festival which will see all the ten regions, security services, schools and colleges participating under the theme " Sports for Health, Unity and Peace" is meant to unearth a lot of talents across the nation, and it is expected that Ghana will have no difficulty in getting the needed sports men and women for international events. The Festival was last held in 1997 and is been revived as part of efforts to promote and develop sports in the country.

Mr Agbozo told the GNA Sports that for the past years, the selection of sports men and women has been based mainly in the southern zone but stated that, the festival will now afford people in the other regions to have an opportunity to justify their inclusion into the various national teams.

He cited the selection of amateur boxers into the national amateur team as a typical example, adding that there are many quality boxers in the three Northern Regions that the nation must unearth.

According to Mr Agbozo the festival is a purely talent hunt exercise and the players selected will be used for the formation of juvenile teams in the various sports disciplines.

"Footballers selected from the Under-15 soccer tournament will form the base of the next national under-17 team whilst the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) will assist athletes discovered at the end of the festival". Mr Agbozo noted.

The Acting Chief Executive said apart from talent hunting, the festival would promote economic development and enhance social integration in the country.

The festival is scheduled for Kumasi Sports Stadium between June 20 and 27.

The participating teams will compete in football, handball, athletics, hockey and netball.