Physical educator urges government to support school sports

Physical educator urges government to support school sports
NAN-S-4
Sports
By Vezi Isike
Lagos, Nov. 4, 2016 (NAN) Opeoluwa Akinmade, a physical educator, on Friday urged the Federal Government to develop physical education in schools by providing sufficient sports facilities and equipment.
Akinmade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there was huge decline in the participation of students in sports because schools lacked basic sports facilities.
According to her, physical education is a vital part of developing students as it helps them to confront mental and physical challenges.
“The use of sport as an education tool cannot be over emphasised since it is a core factor that aids growth of children.
“In recent times government at all levels have been complacent in funding school sports and this has affected raising quality players to represent us in foreign tournaments,’’ she said.
Akinmade said that many schools now focussed solely in theoretical aspects of sports as students were confined to the four-walls of the classroom with little or no facilities to practice what was taught.
“Continuous participation of students in sports is needed to positively engage our wards.
“The question is what equipment are on ground to ensure these children practice skills they learn?
“If we have a government that keeps blind eyes to these problems, it shows how best they want the future of sport to look like in the country,’’ she said.
She called on sport agencies to keep tab on school tourney’s to identify talented children and groom them for the betterment of sports in the country. (NAN)
VOI/ENN/TA
======
(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Tajudeen Atitebi)