Sunyani, (B/A) May 22, GNA - Sunyani Coronation Stadium is playing host to an all-play-all gala competition to unearth Under-17 talents from colts clubs in 10 Districts of the Brong-Ahafo Region. The all-play-all gala competition, being organised by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has participants drawn from the Berekum, Dormaa, Kintampo, Sunyani, Tano, Tain, Asutifi, Techiman, Wenchi and Jaman Districts.

A six-member technical committee and three local coaches are handling the exercise, which was started last May 16 in Tamale, Bolgatanga and Wa.

Briefing the GNA Sports on Monday, Nana Kwadwo Budu II, member of the Starlets Management Board, said mechanisms had been put in place to sensitize and mainatin the players who would make up the final list together.

Nana Budu said this was to ensure that "they become fully groomed and matured enough to play with cohesion in other national assignments after progressing from the Under-17 level competition. He added that the GFA had plans to grant separate autonomy to Regional Colts Divisions to establish Regional Under-17 sides throughout the 10 regions to make the talent search easier.

"For the meantime, the exercise will be on-going and will be a yearly affair but in the future, the Regions will be charged to form their own Under-17 sides," he added.

Mr. Amponsah Agyemang, the Regional Chairman o the Colts Association, expressed concern about the ages of some of the players participating in the exercise.

"Some of the players are more than 17 years and if found to have faulted with their ages, they will be disqualified," he added. The nation-wide programme, which is expected to end on June 3, this year will see the selection of players who would be expected to play a justify your inclusion before being finally selected for the National Under-17 squad towards the Under-17 African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Togo next March.

The exercise will continue in Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Cape Coast, Accra, Hohoe and Koforidua.

In a related development, Mr Sampson Osei-Yaw, Chairman and founder of Ahafo football club, also a community-based organization at Ahafo-Hwidiem in the Brong-Ahafo has embarked on an HIV/AIDS campaign drive to sensitise players of the participating sides about the dangers of the pandemic.

Mr. Osei-Yaw said that the aim of the campaign is to use sports to attract the youth to propagate the AIDS message across the country. He said the AIDS programme had already been taken to catchment areas including Kenyasi Number One and Two and to the Asutifi District. The Community-based organisation also has a juvenile side of children aged under 12, 14 and 17 years. 22 May 06