Lalong praises Plateau SUBEB for sports development efforts

The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has been commended for ensuring that pupils in public primary schools are given the opportunity to showcase and develop their sports talents.

Governor Simon Bako Lalong gave the commendation during the grand finale of the second Public Primary School Sports Competition held at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium in Jos. Represented by his Deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, Lalong added that in the past the Board was identified more in rehabilitation of schools.

Lalong said, “For the previous years SUBEB has been identified more in terms of rehabilitation of schools and provision of infrastructural materials. They are important but developing the mind and physical character of the students is also significant and I think that is another dimension that SUBEB has brought this in focus and I want to congratulate you on that.”

He emphasised that the government is committed to developing talents in the state and will replicate what they have done at the primary level to the secondary and tertiary levels to enable the state to take its rightful place in the sporting scene of the country.

“I also want to congratulate the participants. This is a competition. There must be winners and losers. But I have noticed that you have taken it as good sports men and women and I want to urge you to continue like that. I want to assure you that government shall continue to support and encourage those that excel,” he contended.

The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Prof. Matthew Sule, said that government has painstakingly, in all fronts in the past two years, tackled the challenges that have confronted that level of education.

Sule stressed that, “In Plateau State, public primary school children were denied this experience for a period of over two decades,” emphasizing that such out-door learning activities, as well as arts and craft became alien to school life.

He added that other in-door activities such as debating and quiz were ignored while teaching activities assumed the theoretical approach.“This was the scenario prior to the advent of this present administration. It was last year that the board re-introduced these activities among the children, schools and Local Government Education Authorities,” he said.

The chairman added that the competition has featured football, athletics, arts and craft, debating and quiz, positing that all categories of schools had participated, including the physically challenged.

After last year’s competition, he disclosed that a pupil from Langtang North local education authority was selected to be featured in the National Youth Football Team, which the Channels Television requested for a selected football team of children to participate in their tournament.

Sule expressed optimism when he said that, “It is, therefore, hoped that this competition will again provide a window of opportunities for those scouting for talents to identify the best children for national and international competitions.”