Nigerian Air Force 2018 inter-command combat sports competition kicks-off
- The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has kicked off the third edition of inter-command combat sports competition
- The event is being held at the Godswill Akpabio stadium Uyo, Akwa Ibom state
- The competition is an annual regimental sporting event of the NAF
The third edition of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) inter-command combat sports competition kicked-off on Tuesday, April 3, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
The event tagged “Uyo 2018,” will be featuring over 600 participants drawn from the Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF) Abuja and its six commands located in different parts of Nigeria.
NAIJ.com gathered that the participants will be competing in various sporting events including combat boxing, combat swimming, combat relay race, shooting exercise, obstacle crossing, taekwondo, judo as well as tug of war.
The competition, which is an annual regimental sporting event, is part of efforts aimed at continually promoting combat fitness and esprit-de-corps among personnel. It is also aimed at enhancing effective service delivery, which can only be achieved when personnel are physically and mentally fit.
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While declaring the competition open, the governor of Cross Rivers state and the special guest of honour at the opening ceremony, Professor Benedict Ayade, who was represented by the deputy governor of the state, Professor Ivara Esu, lauded the NAF and its leadership for making the physical fitness of its personnel a priority.
He added that it is indeed a smart move as it is virtually impossible to separate efficient service delivery from a sound mind in a sound body. He therefore assured the NAF of the continuous support of the government and people of Cross River state in ensuring that the NAF continues in its bid to make the country safe for all.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, earlier in his remarks, reiterated the importance of physical fitness to a fighting force. He noted that physical fitness remains the cornerstone of military combat readiness and hence, the NAF leadership’s decision to sustain the annual 10 km walk/jog competition, quarterly route march exercise and the combat sports competition.
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Air Marshal Abubakar explained further that the willingness of the service to continue to enforce physical fitness among NAF personnel could be predicated on one of the key drivers of his administration, which focuses on comradeship and regimentation.
The CAS then took the opportunity to encourage all Nigerians to be law abiding, as the NAF, while working with other security agencies, would be decisive in dealing with any group that attempts to subvert the Constitution of Nigeria.
The competition is scheduled to end on Friday, April 6, when the governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel, is expected to declare it closed in a colourful closing ceremony.
Meanwhile, NAF personnel deployed to the ongoing counter insurgency operation in the northeast and other internal security operations across the country would also compete in the various sporting events at the competition.
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Source: Naija.ng