Rapha House (Red), at the weekend, emerged overall champion at the maiden Peaceville International Academy Inter-House Sports competition, securing 10 gold and 10 silver medals to clinch the first-place trophy.
 
The colourful event themed “Beyond Boundaries,” held at the school’s sports field in Redemption City, Ogun State, drew excitement from students, staff and parents, as four houses Rapha (Red), Nissi (Yellow), Jireh (Green) and Shalom (Blue) – competed for honours. 
 
Nissi House (Yellow) finished second with six gold, 10 silver and six bronze medals, while Jireh (Green) placed third with five gold, three silver and nine bronze medals. Shalom (Blue) came fourth in the keenly contested competition.
 
In the march past, Red House again proved dominant, taking first position ahead of Green, while Yellow and Blue followed in third and fourth positions respectively.
 
The athletes competed in 10 events, including shot put, discus, javelin, 400m and 800m races, among others.   
 
Speaking at the event, Head of School, Ms Dolapo Fatoki, said the inter-house sports competition was organised to promote healthy competition, discover hidden talents and prepare students for broader exposure.
 
“Sports teach resilience, discipline, competence and healthy competition. Education and sports are not separate entities; they work together to prepare our learners for the ever-changing world,” she said.
 
Fatoki explained that the second term was chosen for the event to take advantage of favourable weather and to avoid clashes with examination schedules. She added that the school would expose discovered talents to competitions at local and national levels, while friendly engagements with invited schools would further sharpen their skills.
 
Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr Emmanuel Dejo Oluwaniyi, described the event as a practical demonstration of the school’s commitment to raising well-rounded students.

“All work without play makes a child dull. Our vision is to build children who are spiritually, academically, emotionally and physically fit. Competition brings out the best in any child,” he said, urging the government to revive grassroots sports development in primary and secondary schools.