The first-ever Ghana National Association of Private Schools annual sports festival took off in grand style at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.

The two-day event, which attracted a large crowd, particularly from private schools in the region, saw a choreography by Feberk International School children at Teshie as part of the opening ceremony. The pupils received a standing ovation and prolonged applause.

The competitors, who had formed neat lines for inspection by officials, abandoned the lines to catch a glimpse of the pupils of Feberk School who were performing.

The over 200 schools, grouped into 10 zones, competed in football, table tennis, athletics and volleyball.

Under the joint sponsorship of Pens & Plastics, Cowbell, Fairbon Biscuits and Sedco Publishers, the event seeks to select the best sports boys and girls to represent the Greater Accra Region later in the year at the National Sports Festival. Mr Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, who opened the festival, expressed concern about the waning interest in sporting activities. ?It seems to me that sports and recreation, which used to be an essential part of our educational system, have these days been relegated to the background,? he said. He said in our quest to offer modern education to the modern-day child, the computer and its associated games appear to have taken over what used to be a crucial part of a child?s development, which is taking part in sports and indulging in other recreational activities. Mr Aggrey was grateful to VALCO for its elaborate sponsorship package to bring back the concept of the Academicals football team, but added, ?We are still a long way from the days when the Frank Odois and the Abeka Ankrahs emerged from the classrooms to don national jerseys.? He recalled how sports competitions were organised in the 1960s and 70s at the primary and middle school levels for scholarships to be granted to promising athletes in the belief that it was best to develop sporting potentials in a disciplined educational environment. Mr Aggrey said sports appears to be reserved for the uneducated youth, ?creating the syndrome of education without sports and sports without education. Sad to say, our national football team today can hardly boast of a couple of educated youths.?

The Regional Sports Organiser of the association, Mr David Braide, said private schools have recognised the importance of sports in a nation?s development and will, therefore, leave no stone unturned to ensure that the best talents are identified.

He said the sporting industry is fast becoming a major foreign exchange earner and private schools will make sure that those who are good in any of the sporting disciplines develop them.

Mr S. D. K. Nikoi, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of Private Schools, said the festival is the determination of private schools to give the Ghanaian child a wider room to explore his or her potential.

In the opening football match between Zones Seven and Four girls in the Under-15 category, Zone Four thrashed Zone Seven 3-0.

Divinda Darko, Gloria Owusu-Ansah and Felicita Nimo-Appiah played wonderful games and took turns to register their goals in the 11th, 19th and 23rd minutes of the match.