By Gabriel Dike

 

L-R: Falilat Ogunkoya, winners of nursery event and Pastor Opata

 

 

The Director of Studies (DOS), Ferscoat International School, Ipaja, Lagos, Pastor Felix Opata has described sports as an essential part of schools co-curricular activities, which helps in the physical well being of learners.

Pastor Opata made the declaration recently at the 12th Biennial Inter-House Sports Competition and it attracted stakeholders including Nigeria’s Olympic bronze medalist, Falilat Ogunkoya Osheku.

He used the occasion to advised parents to encourage their wards participation in sporting activities as they could become tomorrow world stars to fly Nigeria’s flag high.

Opata noted: “Sports is an essential part of the school’s co-curricular activities which provides for the physical well-being of the learner. For a child’s development to be total and complete, sports must be encouraged at all levels.

For this reason, the Ministry of Education in line with the National Policy on Education endures that sporting activities as this are organised not only within the school but amongst schools and colleges within and outside the zones.”

The educationist appealed to parents and corporate bodies to assist schools through sponsorship of sporting activities. He also urged the three tiers of government to encourage sports in schools through various sports competitions to hunt for talents.

Related News

To the competitors, he reminded them that there are lessons and attributes of life to learn from the competition describing “life as tough and competitive.”

Opata acknowledged Ferscoat parents support for the competition, stressing, “it is of note worthy to mention that the crop of parents we have now are people that understand that sports is part of Education.”

He appealed to the government and other stakeholders not to allow talents discovered at the event to be wasted.

In her address, the sports icon and Olympic Gold medalist, Mrs. Falilat Ogunkoya Osheku tasked government and schools to promote sporting activities so as to fish out young talents.

She urged parents to encourage their wards to participate in sporting activities, noting, “this is how I started my sporting career. I was discovered at my school sports event and since then I never looked back.”

The Olympic bronze medalist lauded the management of Ferscoat International School for promoting sporting activities and charged the pupils to take advantage of the opportunity.

Ogunkoya advised the Federal Government to revitalize the National School Sports competition so as to discover more talents for the country.

The Principal of the school, Mr. Fredrick Opata said the 12th Biennial Inter-House Sports competition was organised better than the previous editions.

“We went back to the drawing board to  restrategise. We came back better prepared for the event. We have many parents who turned up to support their children and many companies that sponsored the competition,” he stated.

In his remarks, chairman of the event, Mr. David Chukwuemeka acknowledged the important role sports plays in the life of the students and commended the director of studies for promoting sports activities in the school.

The primary school category of the event was won by Blue House followed by Cream House and Purple House.

In the secondary category, Green House emerged first position, Cream 2nd and Purple House placed 3rd.