The Director of Sports, Defence Headquarters, AVM Abidemi Marquis, has said more than 1,600 athletes will compete during the forthcoming Armed Forces Games, 2024.

Mr Marquis said this while addressing a press briefing regarding the games which will begin from September 23 to 27 in Kaduna.

The theme of the fiesta is: “Enhancing military professionalism through sports.”

Mr Marquis, who doubles as the Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the games, added that 19 sporting events would be competed for.

He explained that the Organisation of African Military Sports gave Nigeria the hosting right for the African Military Games 2024 in Abuja.

The chairman said the first edition was held in Kenya 22 years ago, where Nigeria since then has not been able to host it due to security challenges in the period under review.

Mr Marquis recalled that in 2023, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, accepted to host the event in Abuja.

He said, “The current CDS, being a lover of sports, accepted to host the event in the same venue.’’

Mr Marquis said that the games would serve as a trial, where the best athletes would be picked to represent Nigeria’s Armed Forces in the African Military games.

The African games, he said, would be held from November 18 to 30 in Abuja.

“The objective of the games is to select our team that will represent Nigeria during the African military games in Abuja,” he added.

The chairman also explained that the CDS chose Kaduna to host the event as part of his contribution to impact on the economy of the state.

He invited all the sports loving people of Kaduna State to be part of the competition, stating that it was open to all.

He commended Governor Uba Sani for offering some venues for the armed forces to host the event.

They included the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Murtala Square, NDA, NAF Base and a private range for the competition.

Speaking specifically about the forthcoming African Military Games, Mr Marquis disclosed that 44 African nations had indicated interests to be part of the games.

He said between 17 and 18 November, they would be having a scientific sports conference where a lot of thematic areas with respect to sports in general would be discussed.

“We have invited erudite scholars, frontline professors and practitioners in the sporting ecosystem to deliver papers at the Armed Forces Officers Mess in Abuja. Members of the public are invited to present papers by visiting the website of the African military games.

The closing day for the submission of papers is on the 30th of this month. If one is interested in submitting a paper and of course, engaging with us intellectually with respect to what we need to do to move forward sports in Nigeria, we are open,” he said.

Stressing the impact of hosting and participating in international sporting events, he said that was why most nations fight tooth and nail to ensure that they win hosting rights of such events.

“About 3,000 athletes and officials are coming to Abuja during this period, economic activities will thrive and it will project Nigeria positively, having a winning power in sporting events,” Mr Marquis said.

Sporting activities to be competed for in the Armed Forces Games 2024 include volleyball and basketball. Others are lawn tennis, golf, track and field, combat swimming, obstacle crossing, taekwondo and kickboxing, among others.

(NAN)