Preamble

Mensana incorporate sano – a latin word meaning a sound mind dwells in a healthy body. One is aware of a common adage that goes thus “All work and no play makes jack a dull, lazy and dejected boy. To be physically, mentally, socially and emotionally sound, students are advised to take part in sports. This is in line with that popular philosopher, Socrates who emphasized the development of body and mind through physical activities. The Sports Centre caters for the interest of students, staff and the entire academic community on related field of sports.

The Sports Centre with its main objective caters for voluntary sports of students in particular and the College in general.

The Sports Centre among other things:

• Organizes intramural and extramural sports.
• It grooms athletes to represent the College at NICEGA zonal level and NICEGA organized at the national level.
• It prepares outstanding athletes for inter-collegiate, national and international sports competition.
• The centre through the sports committee encourages annual awards to out-standing athletes by the College.

It is worth noting, that the centre is for the students’ body and is independent of any department. Based on this autonomy, the success of sports programme largely depend on students, honourary coaches and other staff meaningful participation.

Sports Committee

The College has Sports Committee charged with the responsibilities of coordinating sporting activities in the College. Members constituting the Committee are from various Departments in the College.

Honourary Coaches

For effective co-ordination and proper grooming of sporting activities in the College, honourary coaches are appointed from both academic and non-academic staff periodically, the Sports Centre also request for coaching assistance from the Sports Council.

• The above is a clear indication of sports autonomy in the College.
• The honourary coaches spread through various Departments in the College.

NICEGA body organizes bi-annual events in which students from all Colleges of Education participate in track and field events, including sports activities at zonal level at a College decided by NIGERIA body Kwara State College of Education has been a member of NICEGA body since its inception. Below is the order of NICEGA hosting by member Colleges from inception.

Zoning

There are fifty eight Colleges of Education that are currently members of NICEGA body. Of these fifty eight Colleges, twenty are Federal owned and sponsored Colleges of Education. Other thirty eight Colleges of Education are owned and sponsored by their State Governments.

The Colleges of Education are grouped into eight zones by NICEGA constituted body. College of Education, Ilorin falls in Zone ‘C’. Member-Colleges in the same zone include: College of Education, Oro Kwara State, College of Education (T) Lafiagi, Kwara State, Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, Osun State College of Education, Ilesa: Ondo State College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti and Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo. At Pre-NICEGA level, zonal elimination is usually held to pick athletes that will represent the zone/college in various sports at the main NICEGA competition.

Hosting

The College has hosted series of zonal eliminations in preparation for NICEGA competition. It has also hosted N.F.A. Pepsi-Cola soccer competition and intercollegiate athletic competition. The College bidded to host (2009) NICEGA.

Achievements

At the NICEGA Zonal level in 1988, the College came 1st with 15 Gold and 4 Silver medals. At 5th NICEGA held in LACOED, Oto-Ijanikin, the College came 4th won 5 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. At Ilesa C.O.E, the College won 4 Gold, 3 Silver and 11 Bronze medals.

At the NICEGA zonal level in 1990, the College came 1st, with 23 Gold, and 2 Silver medals. At NICEGA proper held in Gumel, the College athletes performed brilliantly and did the College proud. The College placed 3rd with 7 Gold, 4 Silver and 9 Bronze medals. The 3rd position was the best achievement so far in the history of the College at NICEGA national competition level. The College came 1st at the 2007 NICEGA at Zonal level, and was in the 13th position among the 68 Colleges that participated among the National level.

It is on record that one of the athletes (Joseph Ogunseyi) represented the country baseball at the international competition held in Canada in 1990.

Sports

The College has a committee charged with the organization and administration of sport for all students and staff irrespective of academic discipline. The College reserves the hours of 4pm – 6pm every Thursday for sports.

Experts are always around to give necessary guidance. The College participates in both intramural and extramural sporting events; the major ones include annual, interschool/departmental sports meetings, NICEGA which involves all Colleges of Education in the country, and a host of other competitions.

The underlisted sports/facilities are available in the College for interested students.

• Football
• Handball
• Basket ball
• Volley ball
• Table Tennis
• Badminton
• Athletics
• Hockey
• Lawn Tennis