TAMALE HIGH TRIUMPHS ...In Milo soccer games (GRAPHIC SPORTS, PAGE 16)

Tamale Senior High School last Saturday defeated defending champions, Potsin T.I. Ahmediyya Senior High School, 2-0 to win this year’s edition of the Milo Schools’ Sports Festival, at the Sunyani Coronation Park in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mumuni S. Salisu and Sulemana Ibrahim scored for thier side in the 15th and 53th minutes respectively in the final match of the tournament sponsored by Nestle Ghana Limited.
Cape Coast Technical defeated Odumaseman 4-3 on penalties for the third position after the game ended goaless in regulation time.
In the final game of the Girls’ U-15 competition, Ashanti Region beat Greater Accra 5-4 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time, while Western Region took the third place after beating Upper East Region 2-1.
In the boys’ U-12 encounter, Brong Ahafo Region defeated Greater Accra 3-2 on penalties after settling for a 1-1 draw, while Northern Region defeated Western Region 2-0.
The teams were presented with trophies, medals as well as Milo branded jerseys, footballs, bags and products and cash.
A total of 800 boys and girls and officials from the 10 regions in the country participated in the week-long championship which was on the theme,”Nourishing Future Champions Together.”
Professor Dominic Fobih, the Minister of Education, Science and Sports who performed the closing ceremony, noted that since its inception in 1989, the Milo Schools Sports Festival has become a very important and popular programme on the school’s calendar which many students look forward to each year.
He, therefore, paid glowing tribute to Nestle Ghana Limited for sustaining their sponsorship which now included Under-12 boy’s soccer and second cycle schools boys and girls volleyball.
He said a cursory reflection of the impact of the Milo games will reveal the tremendous impact on talent identification and development and its subsequent positive influence on the results of the national soccer teams.
The Minster observed that one glaring and strong testimony could be found in the current girls’ Under-17 national soccer team, which is made up of products of the Milo schools programme, adding that the programme undoubtedly helped young boys and girls to acquire the basic skills that are required for high level sports performance in future.
To this end, Prof. Fobih indicated that the Ministry would continue to collaborate with Nestle Ghana to use sports not only for talent identification and development, but also for healthy living, recreation and leisure.
The Human Resource and Corporate Affairs Manager of Nestle Ghana, Mr Sarfo Prempeh, pointed out that teamwork had been the key element and heartbeat of the brand.
He disclosed that Nestle had invested over GH¢100,000 through sponsorship to demonstrate its commitment to sports development in schools.