BAOSA restates commitment to alma mater
Baptist Academy Old Students Association (BAOSA) has reiterated its commitment to all-round excellence of its alma mater. Speaking at the Baptist Academy 89th interhouse sports competition on its premises in
- Baptist Academy holds 89th sports tourney
- By Sanusi Opeyemi,
Baptist Academy Old Students Association (BAOSA) has reiterated its commitment to all-round excellence of its alma mater.
Speaking at the Baptist Academy 89th interhouse sports competition on its premises in Lagos, President of BAOSA, Olumide Ajomale, noted that as an alumni association, over the years, the association has supported various activities of the school including sports tourneys.
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“Members of BAOSA have gone through this moment and it was really an engaging moment for students at those times so to help sustain the tradition, BAOSA has provided support and intervention for the competition over the years and it’s no different in my time as president,” he said.
He said the school’s tradition placed focus on developing all-round students, stressing that academics and sports were essential.
“Baptist Academy is known for developing all-round students. So it’s about character and excellence. Excellence in academics, excellence in sports, excellence in morals, excellence in spiritual life,” he added.
On the importance of academics and sports, he said: “Academics are important. Sports, if you have the skill and the flair, it’s also a line to pursue, but not at the expense of academics. And today we have known athletes to have academic backgrounds and have excelled in sports as well. So that’s the message, that you can’t forego your academic background only to pursue sports, the two must go hand in hand. And if at some point in time you want to become a professional, then you’ll still have some basic foundation in academics.”
Ajomale emphasised the need to create a robust framework to ensure the agelong Principals Cup football competition is revived.
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“We need to create a framework that can enable this to succeed today, the way it succeeded years ago. Things have changed totally and so we must recreate a framework that suits these times.
Sports has become lucrative and so we cannot turn our eyes away from sports but you also want to develop a wholesome individual. Don’t forget that the life on the shelf for a sports person is terminal; you can only be a sportsman till age 40, some maybe earlier . So what happens to life after 40? That’s a mistake many make, but then many have also reckoned on life after sports so they prepare for it and that’s why you find many successful sports persons retire not into penury, but into a life of meaning and purpose,” he said.
The Chairman, BAOSA Sports & Recreation Committee, Otunba Richard Akin Osungboye hailed the school’s legendary status in academics and sports, noting that the school has produced athletes for the nation.
“Some even played football. I played for Flying Eagles, for example. In my days, during the Principal’s Cup, I was the top 9. In fact, my nickname is Striker 9. So, they tell you. So, the fact that you are into sports does not say that you should be backward in your academics. So, Baptist Academy fuses both together. But today, you see people excel in sports. And the essence of the entire sport is to say, okay, while I was in school, I did this, I did that,” he added.
The principal, Mr Solomon Ajagunmo praised BAOSA for its huge contributions toward the sports tourney.He said the old students have assisted the school in so many ways,adding that last year the association inaugurated five important projects in the school.
He described current students as wonderful for representing the school in various competitions in Lagos State and making the school very proud.
“They always come first. And we are proud of them. They are a force to be reckoned with in athletics and also football in Lagos State in general,” he said.
