500 officers, soldiers compete in combat sports

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March 22, 2016 10:50 AM

As part of the preparations to combat insurgency, over 500 officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have commenced combat sports competition in Kaduna, Nigeria.

The three day sporting event will feature Combat Swimming, Obstacle Crossing, Boxing, Judo, Taekwondo and Shooting.

Speaking during the commencement of the programme on Monday March 21, 2016, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar told the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces, especially those fighting insurgency in the North-East that they must combine physical fitness to myriad of weapons at their disposal to defeat the insurgents.

The Air Force Chief said, with the mechanization of warfare further accentuating the importance of physical fitness, soldiers must like in the past still perform most of the arduous tasks which fighting men for thousand years have had to do while at same time possessing the skill to effectively operate myriad of equipment at their disposal.

“Undoubtedly, our approach to physical fitness must be centered on the concept of total fitness for war, which entails technical fitness to develop the knowledge and skills to fight, mental and emotional fitness to bring about the incentive and desire to fight as well as physical fitness to build the strength and stamina to fight.”

“In observing the relevance of physical fitness to combat effectiveness, the late US President Ronald Regan noted and I quote, even with today's weapon systems, it is the service men and women who are physically, mentally and spiritually ready to serve their country who will make the difference in any future conflict” he said.

Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Mohammed Dan'Ali who was represented by the Director of Air Force, Mrs. Osai said the combat sports event was apt as the armed forces was already making meaning gains against the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.

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