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Maths: How football helped my calculating skills – Cowbellpedia winner

Published

5 years ago

November 22, 2018

To those who think football has no academic benefits, winner of 2018 Cowbellpedia, Akinfoluhan Akinleye has disclosed how football helps him in solving difficult mathematics.
Speaking after defeating other contestants in the thirty-six states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory in this year’s mathematics competition, he said “Football requires a lot of concentration, speed and accuracy and all these skills are necessary to excel in a seemingly tough subject like Mathematics”. The 13-year-old son of an Accountant and Banker maintained that football stimulates his thinking and creativity. ”I love football and I play football a lot since I discovered that there seems to be a connection between the game and Mathematics. You have to be smart, sharp, fast and intelligent to play football and excel in Mathematics. It works for me”, he said.

In the junior category, Akinleye from The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State proved his mettle as he beat Splendour Nwankwo of Jesuit Memorial College and Favour Okarike of Graceland International School, both in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to emerge champion of the 2018 Cowbellpedia competition sponsored by Cowbell Milk, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited.In the senior category, Chinedu Mgbemena of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, rose above his closest rivals, Praise Isinkaye of Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State and Ambassadors College’s Juliet Ekoko, the 2016 junior category champion. While Praise emerged the first runner-up, Juliet ended up as second runner-up.

Jessica Austine of Federal Government College, Owerri, Imo State; Enoch Adenekan of The Ambassadors College and Nafisat Abdulwaheed of Reality High School, Ilesa, Osun State had earlier crashed out in the first round of the final.”It is a dream come true today and I am very happy that this day has come eventually”, Mgbemena told journalists. Given the superlative performance of the duo, they were rewarded with N2 million each with an all-expense paid educational excursion overseas while the first and second runners-up got N1.5 million and N1 million respectively.
Their teachers were also rewarded with N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.In his welcome address, Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson said in the past 20 years, Cowbell and Mathematics has expanded in size, scope and prizes as it now holds in over 200 centres across the nation and in over 11,000 schools.He congratulated finalists for their excellent performance and reiterated the commitment of the company towards education and the future of Nigerian children.

In his remarks, Acting Registrar of National Examination Council, Mr Abubakar Gana, who was represented by the Director of Examination Development, Mr Mustapha Abdul commended Promasidor for the Cowbellpedia initiative and pledged the council’s technical support for the project always. Meanwhile, preparations have commenced for next year’s competition. According to organisers, the 2019 Cowbellpedia registration portal is now open for secondary school students across the country to register.