At Cedars inter-house sports, stakeholders call for more attention to athletics

Athletics enthusiasts, who participated in the first biennial Inter-house sports completion of Cedars-World Nursery and Primary School, Lagos, have urged government and other stakeholders to pay more attention to the development of athletics rather than focus all attention on football.

The sports meet, which took place at Union Bank Sports Centre in Surulere, saw the pupils showcasing impressive performances in various events such as races, march past, Lego building, bursting the balloon, pebbles picking, colour sorting, off to school and cart walking parade among others.

Sapphire House emerged winners, while Chalcedony House came second. Jasper House was third and Emerald placed fourth.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman Sports Committee, Mr. Tunde Oluwasola, said lack of government attention to athletics is responsible for the slow pace of development and evolvement of young talents.

“Other sports should also be given a pride of place instead of only football. As a child, I knew a lot of vacant pitches where children played and ran, but they have now been converted to other activities. This trend needs to change if we want to groom budding talents in athletics,” he said.

Director of Programmes, Mrs. Lilian Akuma underscored the essence of sports in the development of children, stressing that Cedars Montessori School believes in the holistic education of every child.

According to her, every aspect of a child’s life should be considered when planning, adding that physical development is also as important as academic development.

“If they are not fit, they cannot perform. Children need to be physically fit to be able to put in their best in their intellectual effort,” she said.

To further encourage development in the sector, she advised that government should put in place measures to ensure private schools have access to sporting facilities without paying exorbitant fees.

Sports Director, Mr. Noah Obakadedua explained that education has moved beyond the four walls of the classroom, adding that those who want to take up professional careers in sports must start early to horn their skills.

Meanwhile, the Royal Father, Fadesewa of Simawa, Ogun State, Oba Gbenga Sonuga, who expressed delight with the performance of the children, commended the school for the concept, saying that sports constitutes a healthy platform for development.