‘Sports veritable tool for improved mental health’

“Sports is a veritable tool for improved mental health, teamwork and enhanced human cognitive function.

“It is also useful in building self-confidence and self-esteem in students, enabling them to compete favourably with their contemporaries on the global stage.”

These and other ideas formed part of a presentation by the proprietor of the Arabian College, Omi-Adio, Ibadan, Dr. Musa Alongbija, during the second edition of the school’s inter-house sports held at the NUT Model School field in Owode, Apata, Ibadan.

Alongbija said the competition with the theme, ‘A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body’, was aimed at blending physical exercise with academics to foster balanced mental alertness in students.

“This second edition of Arabian College inter-house sports shall not be the last in the series; we will evolve more sporting activities in the subsequent ones,” Alongbija assured.

The chairman of the occasion, the director of Good People Charity Foundation Nigeria, Dr. Ahmad Olayiwola-Abdusalaam, referenced prophetic traditions to emphasise the importance of sports and urged parents to enrol their children in Islamic schools with a religion-compliant curriculum.

The Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM, Ibadan, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, prayed for the continued success of Arabian College in inculcating balanced education in students and also prayed that parents would reap the fruits of their hard labour on their children.

The inter-house competition featured activities such as march past, with Green House taking the trophy for their scintillating display to the applause of the gathering.

Other games included filling the bottle, daddy shoe, lime and spoon race, picking the best ball, baby race, tug of war, various meter races, sack race and relay race, with invited schools also participating.

Staff and parents races further entertained the spectators, while cash gifts and awards of half-school-fee payments were announced for the runners-up.

Overall best went to the Pink House, owned by Mr. Alli Abdulhameed Olaosebikan, with 122 points. Green House, led by Mr. Abdusalaam Olaleye, came second with 116 points. Yellow House, represented by Ambassador Shakirullah Jimoh-Orankan, clinched the third position with 104 points, while Blue House, under Alhaji Daud Olawale Alongbija, secured fourth place with 80 points.

Dignitaries at the event included the vice chairman of Irorun-Ni Charitable Foundation Nigeria (ICF), Sheikh Mansur Abdusalam-Murtadho; Mogaji Hashim Abata, Alhaji Tajudeen Alaga, Alhaja Toibat Alongbija, Alhaja Aishat Olaleye and parents.

Highlights of the games included the joint recitation from the Holy Qur’an by two students, Abdulmuiz Abdulhameed and Fatimat Ademoye.

Awards of appreciation were presented to the patrons of the houses: Yellow House patron, Ambassador Shakirullah Jimoh-Orankan (represented by Alhaji Tajudeen Alaga); Green House patron, Mr. Abdusalaam Olaleye (represented by Alhaja Aishat Olaleye); Blue House patron, Alhaji Daud Olawale Alongbija (represented by Alhaja Toibat Alongbija); and Pink House patron, Mr. Alli Olaosebikan. The Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Olawale Hamzat, was also recognised.