Nadowli, UWR, June 10, GNA - Azumah Resources Limited, an Australian Gold prospecting Company operating in the Nadowli and Wa East Districts of the Upper West Region has provided 150 footballs valued at 6,750 Ghana Cedis to 25 selected schools in the Nadowli district. The beneficiary schools include Kindergartens, Primary and Junior High Schools in the two Districts.

Miss Cheryle Morton, Senior Geologist at the Company at the presentation said the company would also provide football clubs in the various communities in area with balls and jerseys to help promote soccer and unearth talents.

She said the company's gesture was to foster strong and good relations with community members and as well strengthen the existing cordial relationship and co-operation between Ghana and Australia whose national teams would face each other at the FIFA 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa.

"It is part of our social responsibility towards developing good relationship between members of the community where we operate through the promotion of sports in the schools and among community members so that in future, Ghana's national team, the Black Stars would be made of players from the Districts", Miss Morton explained.

Miss Morton advised the teachers against keeping the balls in their cupboards but to ensure that thy train the pupils and encourage them to develop love for football.

"Ghana is a strong football nation and it is only through constant training at the school level and encouragement of the youth that will sustain its national teams", she said. The Geologist gave the assurance that more sporting equipment would be provided to the schools in the Districts to ensure that talents in rural schools are not wasted.

Madam Mary Grace Bonye, Nadowli District Director of Education who received the balls on behalf of the schools, thanked the company for the support.

She said inadequate sporting equipment in many schools was a hindrance to the development of sporting activities in the District. Madam Bonye gave the assurance that the District Directorate of Education would monitor the use of the footballs in the schools to ensure the children benefited from them.

Some of the pupils who spoke to the GNA Sports expressed their support and unflinching support to the players of the national football team, the Black Stars and said they would continue to be with them in prayers and urged the team to fight hard to win the ultimate Cup for Ghana. "Remember the saying that many are called but few are chosen. We wish that you are the head of the few that would be chosen in this tournament", the pupils advised. Meanwhile Azumah Resources Limited is exploring the Wa Gold Project at Chare, Nanga, Kunche and Bekpong in the Nadowli District and at Junfian and Danyawkura in the Wa East District respectively. It is expected that the company would develop and operate the first commercial scale gold mining operation in the emerging north-west Ghana gold province. 10 June 10