Flashback: Dr Olato Sam is among the organizers and sponsors in a presentation ceremony in the earlier years of the Milo Schools’ Football tournament
The Petra Organization, like many others across the country, is mourning the loss of Dr Olato Sam, Advisor to the Ministry of Education, which tragically occurred in the wee hours of Friday.
The sporting body, which hailed Dr. Sam as being influential in the birth of its schools’ football programmes, has issued the following statement.
“We at the Petra Organization are shocked and saddened by the untimely demise of Dr. Olato Sam. Dr. Sam was very instrumental in guiding our engagement and interactions with the Ministry of Education (MOE). It was during his tenure as Chief Education Officer that approval was granted for us to use School Teams in the Courts Pee Wee Football ten (10) years ago.
“Dr. Sam, without delay or hesitation, in his advisory capacity to the Minister of Education, signalled to the late Loraine Barker-King, the then Administrator of the Allied Arts Unit (Ministry of Education), to green light approval for the completion of the Milo Schools Football Tournament which the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted.
“In June of 2022, Dr. Sam and the Director of Sports, Mr. Steve Neville, invited the Petra Organization and other stakeholders to a meeting to discuss synergy, development, fair play, and the re-engagement of private schools in our football tournaments. It was Dr. Sam’s experience and shared knowledge that guided us to adjust our Rules. His input ensured that students who represented both private and public institutions were duly registered at schools/ institutions for a specified period, with the emphasis being placed on their academic pursuits also.
“So involved was Dr. Sam with our programs that only last evening and the day before he contacted Mr. Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of the Petra Organization, via WhatsApp messages, for an update on the scores in the Digicel’s School Football Tournament Round of 16 matches.
“The Petra Organization will greatly miss Dr. Sam’s friendship, support, and impacting guidance, and we are sure numerous others that he would have come into contact with.
“We, therefore, wish to express our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones, his family, and the Ministry of Education. May his soul rest in peace and rise in glory.”
