Kumasi, July 28, GNA – Chiefs and traditional authorities have been urged to team up with other stakeholders in sports to protect community playing fields for the benefit of the youth and enhancement of the health of the people.

Mr Agyei-Fokuo Peters, the Ashanti Regional Sports Organizer of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools made the appeal at this year’s inter-zonal sports competition which opened at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.

More than 30 Junior and Senior High Schools, grouped into six zones are participating in the event and at stake are various trophies. He said that it should not be lost on anybody the significance of the to the development

of sports facilities and the benefit that the people would derive from participating in sports

and development of talents right from the community level. The Sports Organizer said celebrated football stars like Malik Jabir, Mohammed Polo

and Abdul Razak and many others started their careers from such community playing fields

to achieve success. “It is therefore worrying with the irresponsible manner in which the playing fields are

being lost to encroachments. Such counter-productive moves to developing football at the

grass root must stop. Mr Peters called on the National Sports Authority and the Ghana Education Service

(GES) to support sports promotion in the private schools. He said there is the need for them to extend to the private schools with the necessary

assistance and encouragement to unearth and develop sport talents. Mr Peters advised sports teachers in the schools to take advantage of refresher courses

run by the Authority and other sports organizations to upgrade their technical expertise. The Sports Organizer expressed concern that most of the referees, match

commissioners and coaches were ill-equipped and not abreast with current trends of the

field and called for refresher courses to be organized to help them to enhance their

performance.