By Samuel SAM
The King of The North (KoTN) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, hosted a basketball competition at the Tamale Technical University. The tournament served as a social and professional instrument to alter the lives of adolescents in Ghana’s northern regions.
It was found that mental health was on the rise in the regions as teenager misuse drug, harming the future of many of them. They were advised to be devoid of drug abuse and rather seek medical care for a thorough mental health check and also engage in regular exercise to stay fit.
Six men’s teams, two from each of the Upper West, Upper East and Northern districts, competed while two women’s teams played an exhibition game. The aim was to create a safe environment for the youth in northern Ghana, thereby promoting skill engagement and development.
He stated that the KoTN Foundation, with the cooperation of the KGL Foundation, organised the event to promote basketball as a professional sport in the north while also addressing social concerns impacting young people.
Judith Araba Yankson, the organisation’s administrator, stated: “The event sought to create skills engagement, which would lead to skills improvement”. It also served as an opportunity to get the youth scouted by schools or institutions for national agenda. According to her, all participants were screened to ensure they were healthy to partake in the event, while those with issues were referred to a health centre for medical attention.
She noted that the organisation wanted to engage more youths but financial constraints impeded the number; hence, the few selected to participate in the tournament. “We are appealing to philanthropists and other development partners to assist in increasing the number in the 2025 tournament.”
Some participants also expressed gratitude to the organisation for the event to harness the talent of the youth.
