The Management of Government College Ibadan has announced the program of activities for the 84th Inter-House Sports competition of the school, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 19th 2025 at the School Field.
According to the information made available by the Senior School Principal who’s the Host, Mr. S. O Oladokun, stated that the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Professor Salihu Abdulwaheed Adelabu is the Special Guest of Honor, while Engr. Abiola Olajide, an old boy of the school is the Chairman of the 84th Inter -House Sports Competition.
During the competition, the houses, namely Powell house, Field House, Carr House, Grier House and Swansons House will compete against each other in different sports.
The ancient school established in 1929, will clock 96 this year.
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes through the 2024 Ibadan Cultural Festival Week on Thursday, 4th July 2024 hosted the finals of the S.I Amole female football competition and President-General male football competition at the Ilaji Hotel & Resort Sports complex.
The event was attended by CCII President General, Chief Ajeniyi Ajewole, Chairman of the 2024 Ibadan Cultural Festival Week, Balogun Gaphar Ojetola, Mogaji Isiaq Ajibola Salawu-Areokuta, and Chairman of the Karim Adeyemi Foundation, who was represented by Barrister Olamide Idowu.
Others in attendance included the 2023 NNPP gubernatorial candidate in the state, Mr. Joshua Popoola, Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Dotun Sanusi and Alhaji Abiola Alli, immediate past President Omo-Ajorosun Club, Ibadan, among others.
Our correspondent reports that Adem High School scored three goals and won the female category after defeating Elekuro High School, which scored zero goals.
In the male category, Ibadan South East scored one goal to emerge as the winner after beating Ibadan North East, which scored zero goals.
Alhaja Folasade Olayiwola the Chairperson of the Sports Sub-committee while addressing journalists at the event, said that the competition was organized to discover more talents in sports. Olayiwola, who also serves as the Social Secretary of CCII, called on the federal and state governments to allocate more funds to support grassroots sports.
She added that this is necessary to discover more talents in sports.“We want to discover more talents in Ibadanland. We are doing this to encourage our young ones. We need to engage them. We do it every year.“We have been supporting grassroots sports through these competitions. We have secondary school students participating. Even the best are being picked by coaches within and outside the country. Some of these best have gotten the opportunity to travel abroad.“We are appealing to the governments at all levels to support grassroots sports. This will help us discover more talents in sports.
There are strong indications that the Birthday celebration of the founder of Joke babes soccer academy Mrs. Caroline Joke Matins Ojo will be celebrated glamorously with a special football competition among some selected schools in Ibadan.
Information made available to journalists indicated that the events which starts from February 27-29 2024 is aimed at celebrating the once in four years birthday of the renown phillantropist.
The knockout games according to the organisers will be played among Bishops Philips Academy, Iwo Road, Ibadan , Oyo State Comprehensive Model School and Liberty Academy, Ibadan.
Others includes Oluyoro Girls Grammar School, Oluyoro Oke Ofa Ibadan, TL Oyesina, Monatan, Ibadan, Urban Day Grammar School, Ibadan, St. Claire’s Girls High School, Ibadan and Good News International School, Ibadan.
Phillipian (Deaconess, Mrs) Caroline Joke Martins-Ojo aka IyawoJesu, believes in building a girl-child. This fuelled her energy in establishing and nurturing a female academy known as, Joke Babes Soccer Academy in July 15, 2021, and has since been waxing stronger.
Joke Babes Soccer Academy is an affiliate of Oyo State Football Association, an auspices of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The idea, which is to bring out the best in our secondary school girls, improve their psychomotor skills, will also discover and develop local talents and show them careers in football, making it part of the choices available to them at later stage of their lives.
“Aside from this Academy, IyawoJesu according to information made available gave priority to humanity, having so many other channels at which she makes life beautiful for others – to the glory of God, Mrs Caroline Joke Martins-Ojo is an angel sent by God to humanity”
In 2017, IyawoJesu Non-Interest Loan facility (INIL), was established, to cater for small scale business owners, who need to boost their businesses. They pay back in instalments, without interest.
Scholarship was also introduced at a later date to accommodate students from all levels (primary to tertiary).
IyawoJesu Food Bank (IFB), was launched on the 21st of March 2020, and fully funded by mummy IyawoJesu. IFB is a facility set up to provide food to the needy in the society to the glory of God.
Her kindness can not be overemphasized because it cuts across so many, without knowing most from Adam. There are people under “IyawoJesu Adopt A Granny Scheme” that we send money to every month for their upkeep. Her generosity is top notch.
The former National champion and international table tennis coach, Chief Waheed Ekun, and committee of friends on Thursday paid a royal visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Mohood Olalekan Balogun at his residential palace in Ibadan.
According to the Agbaakin Mayegun of Ibadanland, the visit was to receive the royal blessings of the Olubadan ahead of the anniversary event put together by his committee of friends between 26 & 27th of August, 2023.
You will recall that the immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari on May 11, 2023 congratulated Chief Waheed on the 50th anniversary of his table tennis national title at the First National Sports Festival in 1973.
Chief Waheed Ekun while speaking at the Palace appreciated the Olubadan of Ibadanland for the leadership the imperial majesty has been providing for the city and Yoruba race at large, and Stated that he and his team decided to start the anniversary celebration with paying a royal visit for a royal blessing.
Olubadan of Ibadanland while receiving the entourage applauded Chief Waheed Ekun for his many successes in the field of sports, most especially table tennis, and being the only person from the Southwest to hold the first National table tennis champion without defeat till today.
Oba Lekan Balogun therefore gave his royal blessings, saying that Chief Waheed Ekun has made Ibadan proud and has positioned in the book of world history, he prayed for Chief Waheed Ekun and his team, and assured them of his presence during the grand finale of the celebration.
Among members of the committee of friends in attendance at the Olubadan palace were Prince Larry Adeyemo; Balogun Gaphar Ojetola; Mogaji (Asiwaju) Nurudeen Akinade; Prince Caleb Akande, CCII Treasurer and Dcn Ademola Alabi (JP), Planning Committee Secretary.
Finally, the two-day Programme has been scheduled to hold as follows:
A. Friday, 25th August, 2023 organized by CCII at Ibadan House by 2pm, to feature 1) Lecture 2) Youth Table Tennis Final 3) Award Presentation to the Honouree
B. Grandfinale on Sunday, 27th August, 2023 at Jogor Events Centre by 1pm 1) Book Launch 2) Unveiling of Foundation 3) Exhibition Table Tennis Match between Waheed & Sunday Eboh (his challenger at 1973 championship).
Billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola has promised the Super Eagles squad $250,000, if they lift the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, who represented CACOVID during a visit to the team’s camp in Cameroon, made the disclosure.
He also said the private sector-led platform established to assist the government in combating Coronavirus in the country, will also give the Super Eagles team $120,000 for the six goals they scored in the group stage of the tournament.
Recall, the Eagles finished the group stage with six goals, which amounted to $120,000.
Emefiele, who praised the team for their performance at the AFCON, also added that CACOVID has increased the amount for every goal scored to $50,000 in the round of 16.
“I came with a message from the CACOVID. The CACOVID is the coalition of private-sector companies that was set up to fight COVID-19 in Nigeria and they have been happy with the performance of the team,” Emefiele said.
“During the meeting, I had with the captain (Ahmed Musa) and the coach (Austin Eguavoen), I delivered a message from CACOVID and the message is that, for every goal that is scored, the team will receive the naira equivalent of $20,000 so far, you have earned for yourself the naira equivalent of $120,000.
“We held a CACOVID meeting again because everyone is overjoyed for everything you’ve done so far, CACOVID has asked me to raise the ante.
“From the round of 16, for every goal scored, you will earn for yourselves as a team the naira equivalent of $50,000.
“Also, Femi Otedola, who is a member of CACOVID, has asked me to tell you that if you lift the trophy, he has in the bank for you, the naira equivalent of $250,000. This is just the beginning and I can assure you that if you win your round of 16 games, another promise might be made,” Emefiele added.
Schools’ Sports entails all sporting activities that take place within and amongst school children. It encompasses intramurals and extramural competition.
Intramurals involves all sporting events that are performed within the four-wall of; and exclusively for the students of a school. On the other hand, extramural competition is a contest in which many schools are made to engage in a competitive healthy rivalry. By health rivalry, such contest should devoid acrimony and chaos. It must not degenerate to the level of violence and thuggery. The minds of the students should be dissuaded from win-at-all cost syndrome.
The goals of both types of school’s sports are warped to promote conditions that could facilitate the three domains of education of a child. These are the cognitive, affective and psychomotive.
The objective of school sports is the enrichment of the high school experiences of students within the context of the educational mission of schools. As such, school sports should be educational and contribute to the overall education of all students.
The precise intent of education is the development of a “whole man”. It is erroneous to restrict education to reading and writing. The concept transcends mere literacy and numeracy. Rather, it is the development of a child in all ramifications.
The stereotyped programmes of contemporary school seems to have become monotonous. Teaching-learning activities in Oyo State schools nowadays are tailored towards a direction where everything bothers on classroom activities without any recourse to extra or co-curricular activities. This was unlike seventies and eighties when schools sports and Literary and Debate were component parts of education. The effect of that dynamism was evident in both moral and academic performance of the students of that period.
Things have however changed ! What we now have is ceaseless and marathon teachings in a compacted time table. We seem to have forgotten the fact that; all works and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. I quite agree that the primary objective of schooling should not be jettisoned but we must as well not forget the potency inherent in a diversification that embraces other aspects of life. Learning becomes monotonous when the environment is conservative. This has an adverse effects on the attention span of the students. Potentials abound in the students. They are like treasures hidden beneath the soil. The only way they could sprout is through extra-curricular events.
Sports is an agent of socialisation. It is a veritable tool to curb social vices which are prevalent amongst students. Researches have shown that these students dissipate so much energy on frivolities and immoral acts. This may not be unconnected with their youthful exurberance. Such restlessness could be channeled to something profitable.
A stable mind and body are antithetical to comprehension and assimilation which education seeks to achieve. Indeed, a symbiotic relationship exists between Sports and Education in this regard. Examples abound: Blood circulation is enhanced by engaging in sporting activities, pulse rate is increased and excretion of toxic waste is enhanced. The constant circulation of oxygenated blood that conveys oxy-haemoglobin to the brain promotes students’ cognition and sense of judgement. Reasoning, value- judgement and brilliance have their roots in the cerebrum which is a part of the brain.
The effect of sports is more pronounced on health. Sports offers a therapeutic remedy to certain metabolic disorders such as obesity, postural defect and diabetes. Aside this, students’ immunities against diseases are developed and the cardio-vascular respiratory endurance becomes more efficient. All these disorders could militate against effective learning. Verily, sports is an antidote to sedentary lifestyle and stress.
Globally, sport has a unifying appeal. The sports industry boasts of a dynamic appeal that many others, even bigger industries look at with envy. It has the power to define a nation as a whole. Social interaction and cultural integration are promoted through sport fiesta which has students from different socio-cultural backgrounds converging on the sports arena. This increases level of tolerance and respect for one another.
From the above, sports is a sine-qua-non to educational excellence. Although, Physical and Health Education is an integral part of the syllabus but this is taught as theory as a result of dearth of equipment and implement. Whereas, the subject is both theoretical and practical. Based on this premise, it is apt to conclude that the recognition accorded sports ends there as this inclusion is just for the sake of a formality.
Sports culture needs to be resuscitated at our schools along with quality education. The realisation of the negative impact that today’s lifestyle brings on the school children is enough to spur us to action and be proactive in the search for options.
Sports not only builds physical stamina but also instills qualities such as obedience, determination, willpower, and discipline.
In summary, there is the need to regurgitate sporting activities in Oyo state schools. The presence of physical and Health Education experts in our schools is an advantage in respect of management and organisation of sports. They posses the technical know-how and this is an a avenue for the teachers to explore the opportunity and display their organisational skills.
Sports organization may be money-spinning. The state could partner with various organizations and companies in this regards.
One thing to guide against while staging sports contest is the use of machineries. This is impersonation and it should be dealt with decisively. Otherwise, the goals would be defeated.
With motivation and reward in forms of scholarship and material gifts, students would strive hard to put in their best. These best might become the state athletes at the National Sports Festival and form the bulk of the nation’s contingent at International age-grade competition and Olympic Games.
On a finality, the ministry of education and the state government are enjoined to consider the proposal herein contained with a view to reviving the moribund schools’ sports in Oyo State.
Comrade LekanBadmus is a freelance writer, Education cum Sports Consultant.
