Posted by Vanguard on
Renowned psychologist and exercise physiologist, Professor Oluwaseun Omotayo has expressed happiness at winning the ‘Sports Leadership Award' of the International Council for Physical Education, Health, Recreation, Sport and Dance.
Renowned psychologist and exercise physiologist, Professor Oluwaseun Omotayo has expressed happiness at winning the ‘Sports Leadership Award' of the International Council for Physical Education, Health, Recreation, Sport and Dance. 'The council in their wisdom must have decided to recognize essence. I was pleasantly surprised. But it also means that some people somewhere have been following the little that one has been doing, and feel that one deserves something.
'The council works closely with UNESCO and this award for sports leadership in Africa means the council has decided to encourage younger elements in the profession so they can continue to promote professionalism.
'To me, it means that one should continue to do what he has been doing since I was at the University of Ibadan, and to continue to prove to people that University of Ibadan is indeed the Mecca of physical education in Nigeria.
'I was trained by the best brains in physical education in Africa, such as Professor Adedeji, Professor Igbanugo, Professor Awosika and Professor Amusan, who is now in South Africa. There is also Professor Nwankwo who is now in the United States. I owe this award to them all. I also owe this award to my colleagues who come around and challenged me to even do more.
'I also owe it to the Psychologists Association of Nigeria, which I headed for a long time, as well as the African Sports Research Network, of which I'm the coordinator, and the Commonwealth Sports Psychology Group, of which I am the chairman. Ultimately, I owe it to God Almighty.
'I really didn't expect it, because as we sit here, I believe I still have much to do to uplift professionalism in the field.
'More than ever before, psychologists are relevant to modern sports development. Considering the kind of atmosphere around a sporting championship, tournament or competition, in which athletes have to interact with co-competitors from other parts of the world, it is only the professional sports psychologist who can put the athlete in good frame of mind for his event. That is why I say the psychologist is more relevant to sports development now more than ever before.
'I also wish to let you know that the international council has approved a regional center for Nigeria, and for that center to be sited in Ijebu-Ode. We have received provisional approval and all we need to do now is to write them to say we are ready. You see, the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel has been developing so many facilities in the state and that must be the reason why they decided to have a Center for Management Development in Nigeria and for it to be in Ogun State."