Accra, Jan. 23, GNA - Gibbons Foundation, a youth and sports related Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has struck a partnership deal with Warm-Up International in the USA to help prop up talented Ghanaian sporting children living in deprived communities to an international level.

Part of the deal requests Warm-up to provide resources, equipment, facilities, and coaches required in helping the "deprived yet talented children realise their dreams."

Mr George Larry-Botchway, Founder and Executive Director of Gibbons told the GNA Sports in Accra that for starters, the two are collaborating to organise a day's basketball tournament at Winneba for children between the ages of 8 and 14.

An e-mail message sent to the Foundation and copied to the GNA asked the Ghanaian counterparts to recruit between 50 and 80 children who would be grouped into two; 8-11 and 12-14 year-olds for the competition.

Warm-up is also bringing down basic training jerseys, trophies, Basketballs and T-shirts for the March Programme.

The US partner's project developed under the auspices of the University of Chicago's Global Leadership Programme won international awards for energizing communities facing severe socio-economic challenges. It is intended to oil youth activities, sports and cultural exchanges for the benefit of the two countries.

Warm-Up has links in many parts of the globe including Eastern Europe and South America but it is the first time such a partnership has been struck in Africa since it was established in 2003.

Mr Larry-Botchway expressed the hope that this relationship would help raise the standard of Ghana sports, especially the lesser-known disciplines, which had been relegated to the background.

If all goes well, Ghana will partake in a "mini-Olympics" project, which will bring together participants from each of the Warm-Up communities for cultural and sporting exchanges, while holding competitions.

Mr Larry-Botchway told the GNA Sports that the Founder of Warm-up, Sean R. Bourgeois is sending down two representatives by April this year to familiarise with their Ghanaian counterparts before major projects could take-off.