The Sprite Ball Championship is an annual inter-high schools basketball tournament in Ghana. Its objective is to unearth talents and develop existing ones amongst the high schools in Ghana. [1] [2] It is organized by the RiteSport, a sports management group in Ghana. [3]
The Sprite Ball Championship began on 2 January 2007 at the Aviation Social Center, Accra. It commenced with over thirty Senior High Schools participating in the competition. [4] Since its inception, it has been played in eight regions namely, Greater Accra . Ashanti, Western, Eastern, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Central and Volta regions. It has engaged over 300 Senior High Schools with an annual attendance of between 5,000-10,000 spectators. [5]
There was no winner for the 2020 edition as the winning school Keta Business College, fielded unqualified players. This resulted in them being stripped of the title after investigations exposed the irregularity. [9] They were also banned indefinitely from the competition. [10]
SEASON | WINNER | FIRST RUNNER-UP | SECOND RUNNER-UP |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | St Mary's Senior High School | ||
2008 | Wesley Girls SeniorHigh School | ||
2009 | Sacred Heart Senior High School | Wesley Girls High School | Insaaniya |
2010 | Sacred Heart Senior High School | Aggrey Memorial | Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School |
2011-2012 | Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School | Tema Senior High | Sacred Heart Senior High |
2012-2013 | Aggrey Memorial | St Mary's Senior High School | Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School |
2014 | TI Amass | Aggrey Memorial | Mfantseman Girls |
2015 | TI Amass | Aggrey Memorial | Mfantseman Girls |
2016 | Aggrey Memorial | Accra Wesley Girls | TI Amass |
2016/2017 | Wesley Girls Senior High School | Kumasi Girls Senior High School | Aggrey Memorial |
2018 | Kumasi Girls Senior High School | Accra Wesley Girls | Ahantaman Girls Senior High School |
2020 | Shama Senior High School | St. Louis Senior High School | Kumasi Girls Senior High School |
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball through the defender's hoop while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. A field goal is worth two points, unless made from behind the three-point line, when it is worth three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one, two or three one-point free throws. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play (overtime) is mandated.
Wesley Girls' Senior High School (WGHS) is an educational institution for girls in Cape Coast in the Central region of Ghana. It was founded in 1836 by Harriet Wrigley, the wife of a Methodist minister. The school is named after the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
Julian Emil-Jamaal Wright is an American professional basketball player for Taichung Wagor Suns of the T1 League. He played college basketball for the University of Kansas. In 2014–15, he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League.
Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC) is a secondary boarding school for boys, in Legon, Accra, Ghana. It was founded in 1938, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast. The Basel missionary, Nicholas Timothy Clerk (1862–1961), who served as the first Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1918 to 1932, used his tenure to advocate for the establishment of the secondary school. The school has ties with its sister schools, Aburi Girls' Senior High School and Krobo Girls Senior High School.
Adisadel College, popularly known as "ADISCO", is an Anglican boys' boarding school in Cape Coast, Ghana. Adisadel College is one of the oldest senior high schools in Africa, and was ranked 10th out of the top 100 best high schools in Africa by Africa Almanac in 2003, based on quality of education, student engagement, strength and activities of alumni, school profile, internet and news visibility.
William Chidi Njoku is a Ghanaian-Canadian former professional basketball player and member of the Canada national men's basketball team.
Otumfuo Opoku Ware II was the 15th Asantehene. He succeeded his uncle Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II in 1970 and ruled for 29 years until his death in February 1999. He was succeeded by Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II.
Jordan Darko-Opoku is a Ghanaian professional footballer, who currently plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Berekum Chelsea and the Ghana national football team.
Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is a Ghanaian academic and politician who served as Minister for Education from February 2013 to January 2017. She is a Full Professor of Literature. She served as the first female Vice-Chancellor of a state university in Ghana when she took over as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast. She currently serves as the Chancellor of the Women's University in Africa.
Casper Ware Jr. is an American professional basketball player for BC Enisey of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the Long Beach State 49ers.
James Kwesi Appiah, also known as Akwasi Appiah, is a Ghanaian football coach and former player who played as a left back. He is currently the head coach of Kenpong Football Academy.
Keta Senior High Technical School (Ketasco) formerly Keta Secondary School is a mixed Public Senior High School located at Dzelukope a town in the Keta Municipal District of the Volta Region, Ghana. The school has a student population of about 3,515 and a teaching staff strength of 150 as at 2020. Ketasco is the biggest school in Volta Region and one of the biggest in Ghana. The motto of the school is DZO LALI with the slogan Now or Never. The Eagle at the main gate is to remind students to always be like the Eagle.
The National Science and Maths Quiz is an annual science and mathematics content-based national level quiz competition for senior high schools in Ghana. It has been produced by Primetime Limited, an education-interest advertising and public relations agency, since 1993.
Daniel Theis is a German professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After seven seasons in the Basketball Bundesliga where he was a four-time All Star and three-time champion, Theis signed with the Boston Celtics of the NBA where he played for four seasons before a trade brought him to the Chicago Bulls.
T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School is a coeducational second-cycle public educational institution in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
St Mary's Senior High School is an all female second cycle institution in Korle Gonno in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana.
Thaddus Dewayn McFadden Jr. is an American-Georgian professional basketball player for UCAM Murcia of the Spanish Liga ACB. Standing at 1.88 m (6'2"), he plays at both guard positions. He played two years of JUCO college basketball at St. Clair County CC, and two years of Division II college basketball at Fairmont State, where he later went into the Fairmont State Hall of Fame. McFadden then entered the 2009 NBA draft, but he was not selected in the draft's two rounds. McFadden has won three Cypriot League championships.
Fredrick Yemoah Opoku is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a winger.
Nana Kwame Akuoko Sarpong, is a traditional ruler, a politician and a lawyer. He is the paramount chief or Omanhene of the Agogo Traditional Area of Ghana. He served as Secretary for Health, Secretary for Internal Affairs and Secretary for Chieftaincy Affairs in the PNDC government. He also served as a member of the council of state in the fourth Republic.
Her Royal Highness Oheneba Lesley Akyaa Opoku Ware is a Ghanaian physician and diplomat. She is the ambassador of Ghana to the Russian Federation. Opoku Ware is also trained as a family physician. In 2017, she was appointed by Ghana's president as the Ambassador to the Russian Federation. She is also the ambassador to several other countries including Armenia.