2 Division inter brigade sports championship hots up

The Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr Olalekan Ali, has charged the participants in the ongoing 2 Division inter brigade sports championship held at 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Odogbo, Ibadan, to compete to the best of their abilities so as to achieve the objectives of the competition.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Major General John Inienger Sports Complex, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan on Tuesday, Ali, who represented the governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi said with the championship, the Army would be fit to continue to carry out their assigned roles effectively and provide the necessary aids to civil authority.

The ceremony was witnessed by heads of security agencies in Oyo State including the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Prisons, Directorate of State Services, Nigeria Air Force and the Nigeria Customs Service.

The SSG stated further that the state government, in turn, would continue to lend the necessary support to 2 Division its activities and performances of duties, pointing out that the role of the Army vis-a-vis the Division in Oyo State is reckonable, as it had, through its outfit, the Operation Burst, greatly improved security in the state and the south west region in general.”

In his address, the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Kasimu Ibrahim Abdulkarim said, the Nigerian Army had refocused on physical and health education that would guarantee the physical well-being of officers and soldiers in line with the COAS Vision for Nigeria Army which is to “have a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.”

He said that the military physical needs of personnel require high fitness level which would ensure stamina, vigour and cardio-vascular endurance of personnel.

The GOC disclosed that the objectives of the championship were to identify talented sportsmen and women from various army formations and to select able participants that would represent the Division in the forthcoming Nigerian Army Sports Championship.

He urged the participants to make good use of their respective formations and to be worthy ambassadors.

Some of the events to be competed for in the seven-day championship include football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, squash, lawn tennis, table tennis, handball, judo, taekwondo, boxing, swimming, chess, scrabble, marathon/cross country, track and field, golf, obstacle crossing and tug of war, among other events.

The participating formations are 52 Division Signal, Odogbo, Ibadan, 42 Division Engineers, Mokola, Ibadan, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, 22 Armour Brigade, Ilorin, 4 Brigade, Benin, 2 Division Garrison, Odogbo, Ibadan and Engineer Construction Command, Ede which are all under 2 Division.

The opening football match took place between teams from 2 Division Garrison, Odogbo Cantnment and 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure.