Kumasi, June 26, GNA - Professor Lasun Emiola, President of the West Africa Universities Games (WAUG), has admonished students and student-athletes to shun hooliganism, which he said was inimical to sports development.

"My advice to students is that as we look up to them to take up the mantle of leadership in sports administration in their respective countries, they should exhibit discipline at all levels of competitions". Prof. Emiola gave the advice at the closing ceremony of the second West Africa Universities Hockey and Soccer Championships held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Saturday.

The 10-day tournament, which brought together 18 universities in the sub-region, formed part of moves to unearth potential sportsmen and women and to also strengthen the cordial relationship among the Universities. Prof. Emiola said that, "Students should not perceive hooliganism as a fun but an evil practice that needed to be nipped in the bud". He called on stakeholders and corporate bodies in sports development to endeavour to invest in sports, especially by organising regular competitions in the sub-region for students to enhance the south-south co-operation.

Prof. Emiola of particular condemned the incidents of stone-throwing that ensued in the KNUST semi-final soccer match against Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) of Nigeria that nearly marred the beauty of the tournament. He commended KNUST for successfully hosting the tournament.