The Defence Headquarters says the morale of the Nigerian contingent to Canada for the Invictus Game was not dampened by the refusal of the Canadian embassy to grant chief of defence staff Christopher Musa a visa for the event.

The military said this in a statement on Monday.

Several top military officers’ requests for visas to attend the Invictus Games in Vancouver were turned down.

The military was invited to participate in the Invictus Games with its team, consisting of three officers and 21 players, including the team’s physiotherapist.

He explained that the Invictus Games Foundation catered for the team’s accommodation and feeding needs, along with those of other participating nations.

“However, in spite of our best efforts, only 14 members of the team, excluding the team leader, captain, and physiotherapist, were granted visas. Regrettably, seven of our athletes who had the potential to excel were denied visas, preventing them from participating in the Games.

“Notwithstanding this setback, our team’s outstanding performance earned Nigeria gold, silver and bronze medals, proudly placing our nation and Africa on the global map of Invictus Games,” said the statement.

It added, “Furthermore, the participation of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, would have added mental strength to our troops. It is on record that the Chief of Defence Staff has initiated laudable efforts to boost morale of our service personnel who risk their lives to protect our nation and its people.

“The Invictus Foundation Centre, which is the first in Africa and currently under construction, is part of this initiative to provide care and mental healing for our wounded personnel.”

(NAN)