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2018 Sprite Ball: Participating schools converge in Accra today
Teams representing schools set to compete at the 2018 Sprite Ball Championship will arrive at the games’ village in Accra on Wednesday January 3.
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Sixteen boys and 10 girls’ schools will converge at the Liman Hall of the University of Ghana campus for the three-day basketball events which starts from Thursday January 4-6 at the El-Wak stadium.
Defending girls champions Wesley Girls High School were the first to touch base at Ghana’s premier tertiary institution on Monday to get settled in early.
Western Regional female champions Ahantaman Girls as well as two-time female national champions Aggrey Memorial Zion also arrived on Tuesday – two clear days before the start of the competition.
The rest of the teams are expected to report early on Wednesday to allow players get enough rest and participate in a special clinic prior to the main championship.
DC Dynamics Coach Feranmi Olulonyo is set to reprise his role as the lead man for the clinic with support from fellow bright young trainers at the Liman Hall on Wednesday afternoon.
Players will be taken through several drills of the game bordering on passing, shooting and dribbling during the one day event.
Participants are expected to apply the lessons learnt in games when the competition tips off on Thursday, January 4 at the El Wak Stadium in Accra.
There will be media a session for players and technical team to share their expectations ahead of the main event.
Expectation is building in the air for the participating teams with an eye on the glittering trophy and a one-year bragging right high on the agenda.
This year’s competition has 16 schools competing in the boys division and 10 competing in the girls division with Opoku Ware School and Wesley Girls High School as defending champions in either division.
Four-time champions Mfantsipim School as well as city rivals St Augustines College, Adisadel College, Wesley Girls and Aggrey Memorial Zion are representing the Central region.
Boys champions Opoku Ware School and bitterest rivals Prempeh College as well as TI Amass (both male and female) and Kumasi Girls will represent the Ashanti region block.
Former champions Keta Senior High make a routine return to the finals alongside Mawuli Senior High and Awudome Girls, representing the Volta region.
Presbyterian Boys Senior High School –Legon make a late entry into the competition alongside Presec-Osu, Sacred Heart, Saint Thomas Aquinas, St Mary’s, Accra Wesley Girls and West African Senior High as representative of the Greater Accra region.
Eastern region giants Pope John and Koforidua Secondary Technical School as well as Nkawkaw Senior High will again feature in the national finals.
Saint John, Takoradi Technical Institute and Ahantaman Girls will also represent the Western region.
26 schools have qualified to play in the competition meaning 312 players are expected to participate in the clinic.
The opening ceremony will take place at the El-Wak stadium on Thursday with the final expected to be shown LIVE on Kwese Free Sports on Saturday from 2pm.