By Dr. Olusegun Odegbami MON, OLY, AFNIIA, FNIS
Are you aware that the 2nd edition of the ‘African Military Games – Abuja 2024’, the biggest military games in African history, will be held in Nigeria in 3 weeks time?
Do you know that the MKO Abiola International Stadium, one of the most beautiful stadia on the African continent, will be renovated in time to host the event?
No stone is left unturned in the plan to make November 18th to 30th, 2024, a reality.
Nigeria shall host over 2000 athletes in 19 different sports from 44 African countries that have indicated interest to participate in the biggest assembly of athletes of military establishments in Africa.
With some 3 weeks to the games, 32 countries have already registered their athletes, with Ghana topping the list with 237. Other countries with expected large contingents, apart from the host, Nigeria, are Algeria 160, Kenya 60, Tunisia 48, and so on.
More countries shall join as the deadline for registration approaches.
There is an exciting new spirit and energy blowing through African military establishments in an anticipated revival of a solid and beneficial relationship with sport.
There is a new ‘Sherrif in town’. The Chief of Defense Staff of Nigeria is a former athlete aside from being a first-class soldier.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa is on a mission to drive an authentic sports revival in the military not just in Nigeria, but in Africa.
The last (and, incidentally, the first) African Military Games were held 22 years ago. He is breathing some oxygen into the moribund project by hosting it after 22 years in ‘coma’.
In the process, he went back into history to draw inspiration from the success stories of a period when the military was a major stakeholder in the African sports architecture, producing elite athletes for various national teams and cementing relationship between Military establishments on the continent.
Some of the first set of Nigerian medalists at the Commonwealth, All African Games and the Olympics were from the military and para military institutions.
In Nigeria, the military were very actively involved in national sports development. They had excellent infrastructure, basic facilities, technical expertise and the discipline needed to succeed in sport. Military teams participated in various national competitions, and the military became active stakeholders with representation on the board of every sports federation in the country.
A revival of that culture is now imminent with a new man who appreciates the negative effect of isolating the military from national sports.
The African Military Games were conceived to serve as a powerful diplomatic tool to strengthen ties and friendship amongst the military establishments of African countries and, by extension, amongst the governments and people.
It is not rocket science that Sport is an activity that can effectively engage and redirect the energy of youths to more productive ways, and away from anti-social conduct and activities.
In reviving the African Military Games, they can actively become a model of using sport to promote pan-Africanism, international relations, unity, and friendship amongst all Africans, and serve also as a powerful weapon against the recruitment of youths into insurgency and terrorism.
It is easy, therefore, to see what the military can bring to the table of sports development, with the resources, personnel, facilities, discipline, and technical expertise it has to produce elite athletes in many sports. especially when there is a deliberate effort and agenda to do so.
That’s why ‘Abuja 2024’ is very important. It provides an opportunity to reset the buttons of a proper sports development agenda through the military to impact Nigeria and the rest of the continent.
‘Abuja 2024’ will make a big statement if packaged and presented well, providing a good background for setting a new agenda for a good relationship between sport, the military, Nigeria and the rest of Africa through sport.
The 2nd African Military Games start on November 18. All roads will lead to the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abuja.
