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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

It is an undeniable fact that sports is the dependable tool for development, health and peace of a nation (Venkateswarlu, 2006a). The Federal Government of Nigeria realises these potentials of sports to contribute to the national development, when it emphasis the need to promote sports in all sectors. In its – strategic plan for the development of the education sector –(2011 – 2015), government directed that sport participation should be encouraged at all levels of education through the provision of facilities, equipment and personnel for the promotion of health, development of skills, and socio – emotional wellbeing of all the age brackets in our educational institutions (Federal Ministry of Education, 2012). In fact, the United Nations general assembly adopted resolution 58/5 titled ―sports as means to promote education, health, development and peace.‖Furthermore, it proclaimed year 2005 as the ―International Year of Sports and Physical Education and urged all nations of the world to take a deliberate steps towards ensuring that sport is given a befitting place in their developmental programmes as a panacea for development (United Nations (UN), 2003; 2006). In view of the established benefits of sports, Educational Institutions in Nigeria in adherence to the directives of the Federal Government have been encouraging students‘ participations in different sporting activities through provision of facilities, equipment training personnel and opportunities of participation in various sporting competitions such as intra-mural and extra-mural schools sports as well as local, national and international competitions. The main objectives of such participation are to promote health, fitness and performance of students (Ladani 2008; Venkateswarlu, 2006a). This has been especially evident in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, in which different types of intra-mural and extra-mural competitions are organised. In order to understand and appreciate such Programmes, it is necessary to understand the concept of sport. The word ―sport‖ is a broad term and as well flexible such that, it includes a variety of sporting activities that have received support from a wide range of organisations involved in sports development. In addition, sports include non-formal, involuntary and leisure time play activities. It is therefore, the opinion of this researcher that it is much easier to hold a more fluid and non-dogmatic view on what do or do not constitute sports, especially in view of the ever-changing scenario in the world of sports and recreation. social development of the participants. This includes play, leisure and recreation activities, casual and competitive sports, and indigenous sports and games. Sport for developmeAccording to Venkateswarlu (2006) the above concept is in line with the view of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force (2003), that sports includes all forms of physical activities that contributes to the psychological, physical and not involves the utilisation of the power of sport to build on the values of development, like equity, inclusion and sustainability, promotion of development of children, social inclusion, cohesion and contribution to health, education and economic development. It can be used to open new awareness for forming partnership than very essential to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (UN Inter-Agency Task Force Report, 2003; Venkateswarlu, 2006). Rodger (2002) argued that sports have four essential elements. Physical activity is undertaken for a recreation (that is non-obligated) purpose and this takes place within a framework of organized competition that is regulated in an institutional setting. However, despite the practical context, the boundaries between activities remain blurred. For example, many sports are undertaken as a professional activity, which implies that they are not recreational. Activities other than team sports, such as swimming and cycling may take place under similar competitive and non-institutional environment. In this regard, they could be viewed as ―recreation‖ sports, in so much as formal rules of competition are not followed. Finally, leisure activities may embrace reading, watching the television, visiting or indeed spectatorship at professional sports encounters. They are neither competitive, rule bound, nor physical activities. Walking and gardening are both physical activities, often undertaken for recreational purposes. Walking as illustrated below is often included in sports participation surveys by government and other agencies, but gardening is not sport. For example, Sport England (a sport organisation) has recently classified darts as sport, and that chess is not. However, the International Olympic Committee recognises that chess is a sport. In this regard, its governing body must ensure that its statues, practice and activities conform to the Olympic Charter. It is clear that in practice sports do not have a predetermined definition. It requires that one should always bear in mind the context in which the term ―sports‖, ―recreation‖, ―leisure‖ and physical activity are used. However, for the purpose of this research, the definition of sport by Paul (2009) and his friends, which define sport as ―all forms of physical activities which, through causal or organic participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition‖, will be adopted as the operational definition of sports. This definition will support and encourage mass sport participation more than a technically rigid definition. The spread and development of Western sports in Nigeria got a boost through the missionaries. On arrival, the missionaries established schools all over the country, particularly in the southern parts of the country. As these schools were established, British sports were also introduced to these schools. Competitive track and field sports were introduced into primary schools in Nigeria through the Empire day celebration usually held every year on May 24th to commemorate the birth of Queen Victoria. Ladani further stressed that the establishment of more secondary schools and Teachers’ Training Colleges contributed tremendously to the spread and development of modern sports in Nigeria. Through the activities of these educational institutions, Nigerians began to see the values and joy of taking part in sports and their increase participation met with greater support by both the colonial administration and Nigeria citizens. The history of the development and spread of modern sports cannot be complete without a tribute to the role of educational institutions, particularly at the tertiary levels (Ladani, 2008). Kabido (2001) noted that universities have been centres of intellectual pursuit and scholarship and university authorities have opposed strongly to anything that might detract them from this purpose. This single-minded academic tradition has persisted inviolate to the present day in most nations of the world. Nevertheless, students have not always shared the faculties’ devotion to this exclusive philosophy of scholarship. Even during medieval times, university students sporadically played games and sports in defiance of restrictions and under threat of punishment. Around 1800, students at University in England and the United States began to take up sports and games more persistently though in an informal manner. During this period, devotees of a sport would form a club or association, and it was this development, which was a necessary forerunner to the more organized inter-university competition, which began with a Cricket meet in 1827, between Oxford and Cambridge. Similar development also took place in American Colleges. In 1852, the Rowing club from Harvard and Yale met in the first inter-collegiate match to be held in the United States. Until 1880s, all of these competitions were conducted entirely by students themselves who raised the money, scheduled the games, and provided their own coaching, as was the case in England (Kabido, 2001). In Australia, universities contributed so much to the development of sports in respect to mass participation and elitist sports. Through formation of Sports Clubs run by students, the sporting life of Australian was greatly influenced. As at 2004, there were more than 60 Sports Clubs affiliated to the University of Sydney and that, the University of Sydney alone produced 45 athletes from Sydney University Clubs, which represented Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (Geogakis, 2006). The National Union of Nigeria students in the late 1950s comprising of Universities, the Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and the Advance Teachers‘ Colleges, which are tertiary institutions of learning, gave impetus to joint sporting activities. This later developed into the Nigeria University Games (NUGA), the Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA) and the Nigeria Advanced Teachers‘ College and Colleges of Education Games Association (NATCEGA) now known as Nigeria Colleges of Education Games Association (NICEGA). Like their foreign counterparts, these Nigeria institutions have been very active in sporting activities in the country through their participation in the various association games, the National Sport Festivals, West African University Games, All Africa Games and many others (Omoruan, 1996).

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