Wa, (U/W) Aug. 22, GNA - The President of the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi has said that one of the ultimate objectives for this year's National Colts Under-12 and 15 Clubs Tournament was to help promote juvenile football across the country. Mr Nyantakyi said the event was also to eradicate the erroneous perception by some members of the public that the development of juvenile football was less important and was almost at the verge of collapse.

The President said this on Saturday during a pre-tournament meeting with the media at Wa, the regional capital of the Upper West Region, host of this year's National Colts Under 12 and 15 Clubs Tournament. The competition which kicks of on Sunday, August 22, is the second to be held in the Region after the first one was held since 1997. Twelve teams are participating in this year's tournament with two Clubs coming from the Greater Accra and the Ashanti Regions. Mr Nyantakyi said the GFA was supporting each of the 12 competing clubswith GH¢500.00 each and commended the Headmaster of Wa Senior High School (SHS) for helping them with accommodation for the teams. He said he was optimistic that the tournament would produce many young talents who would be nurtured for the development of football at the national level.

Mr Nyantakyi stressed the need to use players with the right ages for the competition so that the best talents will be picked out of the tournament to meet the objective for which it was being organised. The GFA President urged the media to help popularize the competition by giving it greater airtime and space.

Mr S. D. Doe, Vice Chairman of the National Juvenile Committee urged soccer fans to troop to the Wa Sports Stadium to cheer up the players to make the competition a success.

He, however, appealed to them to avoid any form of violent acts that could mar the success and beauty of the game and also dent the image and integrity of the Region.