The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps men’s basketball club, the Defenders, on Wednesday, emerged winners of the maiden edition of the Chief of Defence Staff Democracy Day Basketball Championship in Abuja.

The NSCDC team defeated Hotcoal Basketball Club 66-47 in the final game played at the old parade ground court.

The championship, which started on Sunday, had a total of 14 teams comprising 10 male and four female teams.

While the Hotcoal team won silver medal, Maktown Flyers won bronze medal in the third place for male category.

In the female category, Kada Angels Basketball Team of Kaduna won the gold medal by beating Gilali Team, while the Nasarawa State University female team won bronze.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, during the opening ceremony on Sunday, said the event marked an important milestone in celebrating the spirit of athleticism and camaraderie within the armed forces, security services and civil organisations.

Mr Musa said that the championship would also showcase vibrant youths from 10 male and four female teams while featuring 40 veteran basketballers from across the country.

He said the objective was to promote civil-military cooperation and Inter agency collaboration, and also aimed at engaging the Nigerian Youths positively in furtherance to military’s non-kinetic approach to improving security throughout the country.

“By organising the competition, it is my hope that basketballers from the military, paramilitary and the civil society, including our veterans, will continue to maintain a high level of mental alertness and physical fitness,” he had stated.

Speaking on the performance of the NSCDC Team on Wednesday, the Commandant-General, Dr Ahmed Audi, expressed delight that the service emerged victorious.

Mr Audi said the victory of the team was a product of investment that the corps had made in sports, adding that the outstanding performance of his team was the dividend of such investment.

He congratulated the members of the team and commended the defence chief for organising the tournament.

“So, congratulations to members of the team and to the corps. It is a day of joy for us,” he said.

(NAN)