The Principal of Queen’s College, Yaba Lagos, Mrs. Lami Amodu has encouraged students to participate in sporting activities, as it helps to sharpen their cognitive domain and helps them think sharply and assimilate well.
Amodu, who made this known during the 55th annual inter-house athletics competition of the school recently, added that whenever students engage in sports, they are in a happy frame of mind, they mix well and the physical exercise does a lot of good to the mental faculty and all other physical aspects of the body.
According to her, it is possible for a student to be exceptional in both sports and academics, “it depends on the attitude and commitment. Some students are all-rounders and that is what we want them to be; they should not ignore any aspect, they are all important. They have to put in their best.”
Considering the importance of sports, she decried the poor state of the sporting facilities in the school, especially the track and field that could be messy during rainy season, as such the college oganises the athletics competition during dry season.
To ensure optimum performance of students in sports, Amodu said the school engages the services of professionals who come to coach the students to prepare them adequately. “They also play advisory roles in the areas that we should improve.”
She advised schools that lack sporting facilities to try their best to provide them “because sporting facilities are essential in schools generally no matter their location for the development of co-curricular activities and for the academic life of the college because without developing the students in the area of sports it will impact negatively on their academics.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Dr. John Ofobike, who stressed the importance of sports, said he would improve on what he met on ground.
He promised to involve his business partners, friends and government organisations in the development of sports at the school because it is capital intensive.
The students, who were grouped into six houses- Danfodio, Efunjoke, Emotan, Obasa, Obi and Obong- competed in activities like march past, 100m, 200m and 4x100m races, high jump, shot put, long jump, walk race, among others. The students also thrilled guests with their calisthenics display.
