Kumasi, Feb 12, GNA - Dr B. E. Kwesi Prah, Rector of Kumasi Polytechnic has cautioned students against hooliganism and indiscipline and other acts during sporting activities that undermine the objectives of annual sports festivals. He said it was a pity and worrisome about the spate of acts of vandalism and hooliganism in the name of sports and advised students to be disciplined, humble and objective in their thinking and judgement. Dr Prah said this at the opening of the Ashanti Regional Annual Schools and Colleges Athletics Competition at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

About 180 Second Cycle Schools are competing in Pole Vault, Long Jump, Discus, Triple Jump, High Jump, Hurdles, Javelin and tract events in 100, 200, 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meters. Dr Prah noted that the major aim of the competition was to serve as a forum for students' to interact and evaluate the practical teaching and learning of physical education to promote healthy rivalry, devoid of rancour and bitterness. This, he said, would help unearth potential and talented athletes for further skill training and development to enable them become national assets.

Dr Prah said that government attaches much importance to sports and physical education development, hence, the prominence given to the teaching and learning of the subject in the new educational reforms. The Rector therefore advised students to take much interest in sporting activities adding "A sound mind is found in a healthy body". Dr Prah cautioned the students to desist from behaviours and other attitudes that would lead them to contract HIV/AIDS and other diseases and urged them to spend more time on their studies and engage in healthy sporting activities. Mr Annor Yeboah, acting Ashanti Regional Chairman of Schools and Colleges Sports Federation, reminded the students of an incident at the last festival in which a student of Konongo Odumase S.H.S was stabbed to death and advised them not to allow such incident to occur again. He attributed students' indiscipline during such festivals to drug addiction, drunkenness and peer pressure and stressed that any recalcitrant student identified to be involved in such acts would be severely sanctioned. 12 Feb. 09