Ex-Super Eagles goal keeper, Peter Rufai has advised school administrators to make efforts to sustain extra-curricula activities in their schools as it can help discover and nurture talents of future athletes.
Speaking at the seventh inter-house competition of Bols International Schools held at the NYSC orientation camp, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, Rufai attributed his successful football career to school sports
“Inter-house was the starting point of my career as I was discovered by my principal who encouraged me to go into sports. I am grateful to God that He has made me a super star,” he said.
The former goalie added that research has shown that pupils who are actively involved in extra-curricula activities do well in their academics than those who are indifferent. He also said participation in sports could dissuade pupils from non-profitable ventures. He added that sports instills in children the value of fair play, trustworthiness, prevention of drugs, team spirit.
The competition had relay race, march past, 50-400 metres races, egg race, water race, sack race, tie race had. Blue House emerged winner with 13 points. Purple House came second with 11 points, Green House third with six points and Yellow House with three points.
“the need for school administrators to sustain the extra curriculum activity in schools is very germane because there are countless number of superstars among the children who will rule the world in the future to come,” he said.
“We can only rid our society of theft, cyber crime, corruption and other nor profitable ventures when children are exposed and engaged in sporting activities,” he said.
In his words, a former Governorship aspirant in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje said the relevance of sport for today’s’ children can never be undermined as it helps in building the mind.
He called on government and other agencies to invest more in sport academy as that would help build the children to compete favourably with their counterparts in the world. Agbaje noted that Nigeria can only compete favourably with their counterparts in the world of sport when we have well funded sport academy that can groom young people of today with the required skills for excellence in sport
“The people that excel in sporting activities at the world stage started at a tender age in sport academies where they are nurture to compete for gold medals,” he said.
Earlier in her opening address, the Proprietress of the school, Mrs. Mojisola Onitiri, said the sporting competition was aimed at developing innate ability of the children in sport which is very vital in the education given to a child.
She promised to give full scholarship to the best students in the competition.
