Port Harcourt – The Nigerian Army will use its 82 Division Inter-Brigade Sports Competition to keep its personnel fit for security operations in the country.
Brig.-Gen. Hamisu Hassan, the Commander of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, made the assertion at the competition’s closing on Friday in Port Harcourt.
He said the competition also served as an avenue to discover talents that would represent the army and the country in both national and international competitions.
“Physical fitness and sports are the ingredients of accomplishing military operations as enshrined in our routine activities and encapsulated in 82 Division training directives.
“The sports competition seeks to improve fitness of personnel and enables them to be proficient and expertly engage in numerous security operations ongoing across the country.
“The competition was also used to discover talents that will represent and win laurels for the country in international athletics competitions.
“We have a lot of people from the army and other security agencies who have brought laurels to the country in the past, of which we are committed to maintaining the tradition,’’ he said.
Hassan said the competition had not taken place for a while due to the security engagements in the North-East and other parts of the country.
While urging participants to remain fit at all times, the commander maintained that the event would be an annual competition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that hundreds of officers and soldiers competed in track and field events, taekwondo, boxing, swimming, judo and wrestling.
The participants were drawn from army’s 13 Brigade, Calabar; 14 Brigade, Ohafia (Abia) and 34 Brigade, Owerri with cash prizes awarded to winners of the various events. (NAN)