Introduction
The first African Military Games have been held in Nairobi, Kenya between April 7 and 17, 2002.
Organised underneath the auspices of Organisation of Military Sports in Africa (OSMA) and the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the primary version had 32 African nations in attendance. Why a second version didn’t maintain till now’s befuddling.
Abuja 2024 Games
Nigeria are the host of the second African Military Games, from November 18 to 30, 2024 in Abuja, the Federal Capital City.
The Grand Patron of the Games is Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chief Host is Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, a former nationwide basketball and volleyball participant within the Nigerian military; and the co-host is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
The Games are an meeting of athletes in Military institutions in all of the 54 African nations. For the 2024 version, though 44 nations indicated an curiosity to take part, with just a few days to the beginning of the Games, 25 nations have confirmed and registered. More could seemingly nonetheless register and take part.
The Events
There are additionally 19 completely different sports activities occasions to be competed for. They embrace soccer, golf, basketball, volleyball, discipline hockey, monitor and discipline athletics, biking, capturing, archery, fencing, handball, boxing and so forth.
The Venues
The principal venue is the primary bowl of one of the crucial lovely, state-of-the artwork and trendy sports activities edifices in Africa, the MKO Abiola National Stadium. The closing soccer match, the opening and shutting ceremonies and the athletics occasions will happen there.
Other sports activities will probably be held in numerous sports activities amenities unfold everywhere in the metropolis of Abuja, together with inside Military cantonments.
All the amenities are present process facelifts to attain worldwide requirements and guarantee nice performances.
Motto and Theme
The Motto of OSMA, the organiser of the Games, is ‘Friendship through Sports’ capturing the essence of collaboration between the militaries and residents of all African nations.
The theme of the 2024 Games is ‘Enhancing military cooperation in Africa through sports’.
In a transparent demonstration of this spirit, though Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger had pulled out of ECOWAS (the organisation of 16 nations in West Africa, led by Nigeria) earlier this 12 months because of ideological variations, all of the three nations are collaborating in these video games, underlining the commonality of objective, and of sports activities as a strong soft-power device that may bridge divides, soften tensions, and drive regional and even continental relations (and battle resolutions) between nations.
The metropolis of Abuja
Abuja is likely one of the most trendy cities in Africa. Located within the geographical coronary heart of Nigeria, it’s a actually cosmopolitan metropolis with a little bit of each a part of Nigeria in its make-up.
It is a vacationer delight for guests who benefit from the outdoor at night time. The metropolis is secure and its night time life is superior.
Activities past sports activities
During the video games, the athletes, officers, all members of the visiting delegates in addition to the touring military of sports activities followers and the media, will probably be handled to a full dose and array of Nigerian hospitality, together with the nation’s wealthy and various tradition, delicacies, leisure, sights, sounds and glad faces of the folks of Abuja.
At a press convention final Tuesday in Lagos, worldwide Afrobeats star, Olamide (Baddo) was revealed as the primary entertainer of the Games. He will carry out through the opening ceremonies.
The Nigerian Military And Sports
The Nigerian navy has at all times been an integral a part of Nigerian sports activities.
The first Nigerian and African to win a person medal (Gold) at any worldwide sport occasion was a soldier, late Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, within the excessive soar. It was on the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954.
The Military ruled Nigeria for a number of many years from 1965. They used their well-established custom of bodily exercise within the navy via sport, to determine a stable basis for sports activities improvement within the nation.
The navy recruited many younger Nigerians proficient in sports activities into the armed forces; arrange a number of Military golf equipment in numerous sports activities of their formations; supplied a lot of the sports activities directors that arrange the constructions and constructed the primary main amenities for sports activities; supervised, organised and took part in world sports activities politics and occasions.
Under the Military, with their giant variety of educated and well-trained personnel, glorious amenities of their barracks, custom of self-discipline and getting issues achieved with out the bureaucratic bottlenecks related to civilian governments, Nigeria’s sports activities improvement was speedy and big.
The navy produced excellent directors, athletes and amenities that influenced the quickest sports activities improvement programme in Nigeria’s historical past from after the Civil conflict in 1970 to the mid Nineteen Nineties.
At numerous occasions, navy personnel headed the sports activities ministry, the National Sports Commission, the Nigerian Olympic Committee, and a lot of the nationwide sports activities federations. They additionally equipped a lot of athletes in numerous nationwide groups to worldwide sports activities occasions.
The custom of selling sports activities inside the navy in Nigeria has at all times existed however to completely different levels, and internet hosting of worldwide sports activities occasions is just not new to Nigeria.
The CDS – A New Visionary
So, the nation is worked up concerning the internet hosting the 2024 African Military Games underneath the supervision of a soldier who was a former nationwide athlete. It is a daring assertion about sport and the navy in a brand new dispensation.
Sport generally is a very great tool in worldwide diplomacy, a rallying level, a unifying drive. It is an empowering device for the youths, for his or her enrollment into establishments together with the navy, partaking them in helpful exercise away from different societal ills, and for constructing a wholesome civilian/navy relationship.
General Christopher Musa and his crew are nice visionaries, following within the custom of earlier giants of navy sports activities in Nigeria’s historical past.
