The Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC), Legon, has received a significant boost to its sporting development following a comprehensive equipment sponsorship from W Sports International, in a move that places renewed emphasis on the importance of sports in education and the nurturing of young talent.

Beyond the presentation of sporting equipment, the initiative has delivered a compelling message about friendship, institutional cooperation and the need to rise above traditional school rivalries in the pursuit of national development.

The sponsorship, presented by the Chairman of W Sports International, Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong, the Dompiahene of the Agogo Asante Akyem Traditional Area, makes PRESEC the 21st school nationwide to benefit from the organisation’s programme and the first in the Greater Accra Region. The milestone represents another step in W Sports International’s broader ambition to modernise sports in Ghanaian second cycle institutions and create better opportunities for students to develop their athletic abilities.

The presentation ceremony brought together the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams, PRESEC Headmaster, Mr David Odjija, the Global President of Odadee and Board Chairman of PRESEC, Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, members of the Odadee fraternity, teachers, students and other distinguished personalities. The gathering celebrated not only a material contribution to school sports but also an inspiring demonstration of how personal relationships can become instruments for broader national progress.

At the heart of the occasion was Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong’s decision to extend support to PRESEC despite his strong association with Prempeh College, his alma mater. The two institutions have maintained a celebrated rivalry, particularly through academic contests such as the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), as well as sporting competitions. Yet, in a gesture that challenged the limitations of institutional allegiance, the W Sports International chairman insisted that healthy rivalry must never become an obstacle to recognising excellence or investing in the future of young people.

Explaining the motivation behind the sponsorship, Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong acknowledged PRESEC’s impressive record across academic and extracurricular disciplines, including its achievements in the NSMQ, robotics, football, hockey, basketball and debating. He maintained that the school’s accomplishments deserved recognition and that the development of Ghanaian youth should take precedence over the historical divisions that sometimes characterise relations between competing institutions.

He also paid glowing tribute to his friend, brother and mentor, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong, describing his leadership as an example of generosity that transcends school affiliations. Recalling Dr Ofori Sarpong’s previous support for Prempeh College’s robotics team when assistance was needed, he said the intervention demonstrated the value of extending opportunities to deserving young people regardless of the institution they represented. For him, the PRESEC sponsorship reflected that same principle of generosity, cooperation and reciprocal goodwill.

“Today, therefore, is not just a donation. It is a statement that when it comes to developing Ghanaian youth through sports, there is no PRESEC and there is no Prempeh College. There is only one Ghana,” Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong declared. His remarks captured the wider significance of the initiative: that the future of education and sports in Ghana must be built on shared opportunities rather than divided loyalties.

The first phase of the sponsorship includes high-jump and pole vault landing foam, home and away football uniforms, home and away basketball jerseys, tracksuits, footballs and polo shirts for sports officials. These items are expected to strengthen the school’s training environment, improve the preparedness of its sporting teams and give student athletes access to equipment that supports their participation in competitive events.

Demonstrating that the intervention is intended to extend beyond a ceremonial presentation, Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong announced a second phase of support, which will include track and field vests, camp wear and additional athletic equipment. The commitment suggests a longer term approach to school sports development, with the potential to provide participating institutions with more consistent assistance rather than isolated donations.

Receiving the sponsorship on behalf of the school, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong expressed profound appreciation to Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong and the W Sports International team. He described the intervention as a valuable contribution to PRESEC’s sporting ambitions and said the school was honoured to become the organisation’s first beneficiary in Greater Accra. He also acknowledged the significance of the gesture to the wider Odadee fraternity, which has continued to celebrate the institution’s academic and extracurricular achievements.

Dr. Ofori Sarpong observed that while PRESEC had built a formidable reputation for academic excellence, the sponsorship offered another opportunity to strengthen its sporting profile. He said the donated football and basketball uniforms, together with the high jump landing facilities, would support the identification, development and nurturing of talented students capable of representing the school and Ghana at higher levels of competition. He commended the chairman for his vision and assured the sponsors that the equipment would be properly maintained and used for its intended purpose.

The formal handover provided another symbolic moment in the ceremony, as Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong presented the items to Dr Ofori Sarpong, who subsequently handed them over to the Headmaster, Mr David Odjija, for use by the school. The exchange reflected a shared commitment between the sponsors, the school’s leadership and its alumni community to creating an environment in which students can excel both academically and athletically.

Both Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong and Dr. Ofori Sarpong urged the students to translate the support into improved performances and greater discipline. Nana Bediako Brogya Sarpong encouraged them to wear their jerseys with pride and defend the legacy of the Blue Magicians, while Dr. Ofori Sarpong reminded them that access to quality sporting equipment also carried a responsibility to work hard, remain committed and deliver results.

Beyond the sponsorship, PRESEC’s Headmaster, Mr David Odjija, used the occasion to draw attention to a major infrastructure challenge confronting the school’s athletics programme. He appealed to the Minister for Sports and Recreation and W Sports International to support the construction or provision of a four lane athletics track, explaining that the absence of a standard facility continued to limit the training and competitive preparation of the school’s athletes.

Mr. Odjija noted that PRESEC had maintained a strong record in the 4x100 metre relay and basketball competitions in the Greater Accra Region over several years, with some students earning opportunities to represent the region at national competitions. However, he explained that the lack of a standard athletics track made it difficult for students to prepare adequately for competitions held on regulation standard facilities. His appeal highlighted an important distinction between recognising sporting talent and providing the infrastructure required to develop it fully.

The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams, congratulated W Sports International and its chairman for selecting PRESEC as the 21st beneficiary of the nationwide initiative and the first in Greater Accra. He described the presentation of footballs, basketballs, tracksuits and a high jump landing mat as a practical investment in the development of young sporting talent, stressing the importance of partnerships that complement government efforts to strengthen sports in schools.

Responding to the Headmaster’s appeal for an athletics track, the Minister assured the school that its concerns had been noted and called for collaboration towards improving its sporting infrastructure. He further emphasised the need to establish stronger connections between inter house competitions, inter school sporting events, district and regional competitions, national school sports festivals and university level programmes. Such a structured pathway, he indicated, would help identify promising athletes early and provide them with opportunities to progress through the various stages of competitive sports.

The Minister’s remarks reinforced the broader national importance of the W Sports International initiative. School sports, he suggested, should not operate as isolated activities but as part of a coordinated talent development system linking educational institutions to higher levels of competition. Such an approach could help Ghana identify future athletes, strengthen its sporting competitiveness and ensure that promising talents are not lost because of inadequate opportunities or infrastructure.

Ultimately, the PRESEC sponsorship represents more than an addition to the school’s sporting inventory. It offers an example of how alumni networks, private sector initiatives, institutional leadership and government collaboration can contribute to youth development. More importantly, the gesture by a proud Prempeh College alumnus towards PRESEC demonstrates that the strongest legacy of school rivalry should be the pursuit of excellence, not the restriction of opportunities. As W Sports International looks towards its next phase of support, the challenge will be to translate this encouraging intervention into sustained improvements in facilities, training and student performance. The message from the ceremony remains clear: Ghana’s young people deserve every opportunity to succeed, and their future is a responsibility that transcends school colours, affiliations and rivalries.