Olympic medalist, Falilat urges parents, schools to support children on sports

Former 400m African record holder and Olympic gold medalist, Falilat Ogunkoya-Osheku has urged parents and teachers across Nigeria to give attention to their children or students as case may be who have interest in one sport or the other by supporting them.

She also urged President Bola Tinubu to support Team Nigeria, who will be going to Paris, France, for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, holding between 26th of July and 11th of August.

The medalist made this appeal at the 2024 Lagooz Schools Sports Festival held at Agege Stadium recently.

The inter-house sports featured among others match past, field and track events, and the invited schools with prizes awarded to participating houses and invited schools according to their performance.

Speaking further, Ogunkoya-Osheku, disclosed that she started her own sport career journey while in school to the extent that she was awarded scholarship.

She declared that even though combining sports with academics may not be that convenient for students in Nigeria, they can still balance the two as it’s being done in the developed countries without one affecting the other.

While commending Lagooz Schools for the sports festival, Ogunkoya-Osheku, a guest of honour at the event, urged the students not to be discouraged from developing their talents in any area of sports they love and good at and also to give their studies deserved attention.

In his welcome address, the chairman of Lagooz Schools, Mr. Yomi Otubela, who is also the National President of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools( NAPPS), said the sports festival is a platform for the school to not only identify, showcase and celebrate talents among students but also to keep them physically fit and encourage them on teamwork and spirit of sportmanship.

He said Lagooz School does not believe in academic excellence alone but also in activities such as sports and creative arts.

He commended the management and staff of the school as well as the parents for their cooperation and supports always.

He said Lagooz Schools are structured to produce globally competitive and fit- for-purpose students and would not relent doing so.

On his part, the Chairman of Parent-Teacher Association of the school, Mr Olugbenga Ogunbewon, said most parents nowadays encourage and support their children in taking interest in sport unlike in the olden days when they chased them away from field sporting activities.

He said aside from exposure, physical fitness, spirit of teamwork and sportmanship, sports can also promote unity among people of diverse cultures.
While commending the school for creating the platform, he promised that parents would continue to support activities that will add value to the students and the school.

At the end of the event, Onyx House with 15 gold medals won the star prize while Beryl(14 gold), Topaz(11)and Pearl(eight) won second, third and fourth positions, respectively.