Keta Senior High Technical School (KETASCO) emerged champions in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions of the Volta Regional edition of the maiden Mental Slam Basketball Tournament.
KETASCO’s boys secured the title after edging hosts Mawuli School 22-21 in a keenly contested final, claiming bragging rights in the four-school competition.
The champions had earlier booked their place in the final with a convincing victory over Awudome Senior High School, scoring 25 points in a 42-point encounter.
Mawuli School settled for second place, while Awudome SHS claimed the bronze medal position. Bishop Herman College endured a difficult tournament, losing both of its matches and finishing at the bottom of the standings.
In the girls’ competition, KETASCO dominated from start to finish, culminating in a commanding 30-6 victory over Mawuli School in the final.
The Keta-based side qualified for the championship game after defeating Ola Girls Senior High School 6-3 in a two-quarter semifinal contest and finished the tournament with the highest total score of 55 points.
Ola Girls SHS secured third place after overcoming Awudome SHS, which had earlier suffered a 24-7 defeat to KETASCO.
At the end of the competition, the champions received trophies and gold medals, while the runners-up and third-placed teams were presented with silver and bronze medals respectively.
Speaking at the event, Mr Nii Ankonu Annorbah-Sarpei, Head of Programmes at the KGL Foundation, congratulated all participating schools and encouraged students to remain determined despite setbacks.
He said the Mental Slam initiative formed part of the Foundation’s efforts to promote mental health awareness among young people, particularly teenagers who are vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
“Particularly for us, Mental Slam is under our mental health initiative, which is basically to give young people access to information, particularly about mental health,” he said.
Mr Annorbah-Sarpei noted that the Foundation was working to improve mental health support systems in schools through the establishment and rehabilitation of counselling centres.
He said selected schools, including Keta Senior High Technical School, Mawuli School, Bishop Herman College, Ola Senior High School and Awudome Senior High School, would benefit from the initiative.
He also advised students, particularly athletes, to avoid the use of performance-enhancing substances and focus on healthy means of improving their sporting performance.
The Mental Slam Basketball Tournament combines sports and mental health advocacy, using competition as a platform to raise awareness and encourage young people to seek support when faced with mental health challenges.
GNA
