Nkonya-Wuropong, March 21, GNA - Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Sports at the weekend deplored the lack of interest in school sports by students culminating in the downward trend of sport countrywide.

She expressed regret that sports no longer played an important role in schools.

Miss Ohene, who was speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of Nkonya Secondary School in the Jasikan District, said equal attention should be paid to the health of the youth if quality education was to be achieved.

''Beyond that, the healthy competition that was generated through inter-house and inter schools competitions created the happy atmosphere we look back on with such nostalgia." "We must re-capture those times, today there is the added incentive with sports becoming an international event," Miss Ohene said. She appealed to the youth to avoid narcotic and to practice positive lifestyle to avoid the HIV/AIDS menace.