1, 500 athletes, officials for 2017 Nigerian Navy Games

At least, 1, 500 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the 2017 Nigeria Navy Games scheduled to take place between February 26th and 4th March, 2017 in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State.

Commodore Suraj Bello, Director of Sports, Nigerian Navy (NN) and facilitator for the 11th Nigerian Navy Games who disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Friday also said six commands of the NN will participate in the Games.

“For each command, we are expecting 250 athletes and officials,” he said. “For the six commands, we are expecting 1, 500.”

Commodore Bello noted that the Games had already been flagged off with the water sports championship which was held at the Navy Town and Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos from 16 to 11 February, 2017.

“But in Uyo, we shall be having athletics, track and field events, Badminton, Basketball, boxing (males), chess, football (males), golf, handball, judo, scrabble, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, Tennis, Tug of war, volleyball, wrestling,” he added.

Speaking earlier, NN Chief of Administration, Rear Admiral Henry Babalola said the NN promulgated the establishment of the Games to improve the physical fitness of its personnel.

He said: “Sports and physical training have always been the bedrock of Naval personnel’s daily mental and physical readiness for sea and ashore duties. It is in recognition of this fact...that led to the promulgation of the specific sports related Nigerian Navy Order (NNO) in the early 60s”

He noted that since the NN Games’ establishment, the quality of participation at each edition had continued to improve in term of number of participants and events that featured.