Mental, physical health best ingredients for fitness, says sports expert
By Umar Mohd
Young Athletes participating in the ongoing 2025 National Basic Education School Sports BESS Games in Bauchi have been urged to take care of their mental and physical health to remain fit and active at every stage of their lives.
A Medical Expert and Sports Official with Niger State Contingent, Dr Faruq Abdulyakeen made the call at a Cultural exhibition as well as Education and Health talk session for participants of the BESS games taking place in Bauchi.
Dr Faruq Abdulyakeen listed fitness, managing stress, and other forms of anxiety when it comes to mental and physical health as critical to every sportsperson, hence the need for the pupil athletes to pay attention to those aspects.
According to him, an athlete should prioritise hygiene management especially when taking water and food to ensure balanced diet, cardiovascular management, which deals with the heart, stress, and mental health.
In a presentation on Self Confidence, the Sports Desk Officer Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Odika Antonia, charged the participants to have confidence in being good representatives of their states, coaches, officials, be disciplined, have self value, imbibe the spirit of teamwork, and cordial relationship among fellow athletes.
In a remark, the President National SUBEB Sports Officers Forum, NASSOF Mr Ipede Joseph said the main objective of the programme is to nurture the participants, and carry them young, towards discovering future talents like the discovery of Jay Jay Okocha in football, Mary Onyali in athletics, and the likes of Anthony Joshua in boxing.
Mr Ipede Joseph who said the total number of participating students from 20 states across the federation stood at 1,100, noted that education and sports are two inseparable activities in the lives of children hence the resolve by UBEC to initiate the games to promote unity, and peace in the country.
Speaking to sportswriters, some of the participants Miss Eborka Guinevere from Delta State and Ibrahim Muhammad from Gombe observed that the competition exposed them to lots of life lessons, promising to take home the experiences and knowledge gained at the annual event.
