Wrestling: Nigeria Army Rules 1st CGC Military/Paramilitary Championship

Wrestling: Nigeria Army Rules 1st CGC Military/Paramilitary Championship

Ibrahim Lateef

Nigeria Army emerged champions of the 1st Comptroller General of Customs Military and Para Military National Wrestling Championship in Abuja, reports BSNSports.com.ng.

The three-day tournament had host Customs, Nigeria Air Force, NSCDC, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Navy, FRSC and Nigeria Correctional Service compete in Greco-Roman, Men’s Freestyle, and Women’s Freestyle Wrestling at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.

Nigeria Army won 14 medals, 9 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze, to assert its dominance in the wrestling event amongst Military and Paramilitary Organisations.

The Acting Director of Physical Training, Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Abdulraheem Bello, applauded the wrestlers for their sterling performance at the championship.

Brig Gen Bello said the win strongly indicates that the Nigeria Army wrestling team is ready to make the nation proud at the forthcoming African Military Games (AMGA) 2024.

He added that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has provided the enabling environment and logistics for sports especially combat sports to thrive.

Bello said, “I want to applaud the wrestlers for putting up a good show by emerging first position at the just concluded 1st Comptroller General of Customs Military and Para Military National Wrestling Championship. Before the championship, the mandate of the wrestlers was to win convincingly and use the championship as preparation ahead of the African Military Games.

 “Most of the wrestlers who won gold medals are in the national team and have won laurels for the country. Hannah Reuben is an African Champion, Commonwealth Games medallist, and two-time Olympian; Tochukwu Okeke and Julius Adekunle are wrestlers who have dominated their various categories in the Greco-Roman.

The Nigerian Army desires to continue making the country proud at International Championships.

 “The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has given the Department of Physical Training the mandate to win every available championship in the country and has provided the necessary support as well as logistics to excel. We plan to recruit athletes to fill the vacuum created by some of our elite athletes becoming coaches/referees.

 “Our next point of action is to immediately return to camp and train hard for the African Military Games next November”, he said.