SPARK Sport Day on Tuesday

Next T u e s d a y, September 19, the majestic NIBM Lions will roar at the Thurstan Spor t s Complex competing to become the ultimate winner of the SPARK Award. The Sports Club of NIBM is proud to organise the NIBM Sports Day to exhibit the SPARK of strength, integrity and competencies of its students.

The inspiration for the creation of NIBM Sports Club came from the understanding that building confidence in young individuals to confront challenges outside the comfort of the classroom helps to create well- rounded and empowered individuals. An empowered individual can move mountains, and this is exactly what they hope to do; to revive the spirit of the persevering lion hidden within their scholars.

The NIBM Sports Day will mark the commencement of a series of celebrations towards the Golden Jubilee of the institute, which will be celebrated in grand scale next year. The Jubilee will mark 50 years of success and prestige in being the pioneer in offering higher education in Sri Lanka.

Operating through four branches in Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle and Matara, NIBM trains more than 12,000 students annually and has been providing education and training for school leavers and professionals of the private and public sectors in Sri Lanka since 1968.

The NIBM is further strengthened by the Sri Lankan government, along with coveted affiliations with world ranking universities such as Coventry in the UK, Limkokwing in Malaysia and Plymouth in the UK. It has also been recognised as the best among business establishments in the public sector, and also one of the best among all business establishments, at the National Business Excellence Awards Ceremony organized by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in the years 2011 and 2012.

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today” said Malcolm X. This is why NIBM has been committed to bring out the best in students since its inception half a century ago.

Students are full of energy, all of which cannot be spent on studies only. Through the Sports Club, NIBM hopes to empower their students, strengthen them and uphold their personalities so as to build their competencies in all levels. Playing a sport can help them experience hardships and allow them to face the trials and various rigors of daily life. Since the very core of sportsmanship is fair play, teaching students that the ups and downs are inevitable aspects of life is of the utmost importance. By incorporating sports and co-curricular activities into the faultless curricula at NIBM, theywill be able to ensure students receive a wholesome student experience at NIBM.

Studies have shown a direct connection between physical activity and academic performance.This is due to the increased cognitive ability that comes from playing sports; meaning athletes may be more willing and capable of tackling that next big problem.

Team sports can also help with emotional development since they are said to bolster the five Cs: competence, confidence, connections, character, and caring. At the heart of this is self-esteem – an increased sense of self as a result of better social interactions, stronger relationships, and higher academic performance, providing sportsper- son with a natural community.

“Individual students who participate in sports are less likely to be hostile or antagonistic toward others…” said the director of the University of Miami’s Centre for Research on Sport in Society. Sports require teamwork in the pursuit of mutual goals to achieve success. With sports, young people learn to recognise and value the unique and important contributions of their diverse teammates.

Team athletes are constantly working with a slate of other people, many of whom can become positive role models along the way. They foster mentorship between older players and younger players, coaches and athletes, and more.

Sports are important to relax the mind, to ‘ let out steam’. Students should not only be cooped up in libraries, cramming for exams. They should learn to balance their studies with exercise, and this will make for more competent individuals. This is why the goal of ‘SPARK competencies’ is pursued at NIBM, to bring out the hidden talents of their students. The motto of the NIBM Sports Club; SPARK Competencies - Strength, Power, Ambition, Respect and Kudos underlines the valuable life skills that students will build.

To be a great leader one needs focus, confidence, integrity, passion, innovation, patience and insightfulness. The country needs influential leaders, and through sports, one is able to train these qualities, paving way to become a unique individual.

On September 19, the students of the Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle and Matara centres will compete against each other in friendly competition, in Rugby, Cricket and Netball for the ultimate SPARK Award. The award will be annually passed on to the next winner, to keep the spirit of a good game flowing through the years. The students taking part in the Rugby game will compete for the SPARK Rugby Cup, those competing in Cricket will do so for the SPARK Trophy and the Netball players will compete for the SPARK Netball Cup. Runner Ups in all three sports will also receive trophies while the rest of the players will obtain a certificate of participation.

These sports offer increased confidence and self-respect, as the ultimate character- building sports. They foster courage, fitness, team effort and togetherness, bringing together students from all social and cultural backgrounds. Regularly playing sports and triumphing over a challenging situation during the game, players build resilience to stress and are often able to better tackle problems off the field, building endurance.

The NIBM Sports Club plans to hold continuous activities to encourage its students to participate in sports activities regularly. Subsequent to the Sports Day, an I n t e r- Re gional Badminton Tournament and Inter- Institute Rowing Meet will take place by the end of the year, a Drama Festival is planned to be held with the intention of instilling aesthetic sensibility in students to appreciate the value of visual and performing arts that add colour to life.

While strengthening students in physical recreational activities, the NIBM Sports Club leads the student to participate in the social services work through executing CSR activities, so that the students understand the value of being a responsible citizen serving the society.

On that note, NIBM Sports Club extends a warm welcome to join them in the NIBM Sports Day to witness the talent of their students on Tuesday, September 19 at the Thurstan Sports Complex.