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Abuja Agog As First IGP Open Weightlifting Championship Holds In November
The maiden edition of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Open Weightlifting Championship will hold from November 8 to 12, 2021, the organisers have announced.
The competition is in collaboration with the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, NWF.
Speaking with the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation media team in Abuja, the Caretaker Committee chairman, Nigeria Police Weightlifting Association, DSP Briggs Asigoboka said the championship is part of sporting activities the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba is using to boost the moral of the force as well as restore the past glory when the force was synonymous with producing star athletes for the country.
DSP Briggs said the essence of the competition is, among other things, to boost the moral of the athletes in the rank and file, give them a sense of belonging and restore the past glory of sporting activities in the force as well as discover and nurture good weightlifters for the country and international competitions.
“The competition, IGP Open Weightlifting Championship, is the first edition and it will hold from November 8 to 12th, 2021.
“The whole essence of this competition is to boost the moral of our athletes and make them have a sense of belonging because when you have regular competitions, it will help them to keep fit and face the challenges ahead.
“That will also make them to measure up with their other colleagues in councils in the country. Therefore, the competition will ensure that our people are keeping fit and that they can go for other national competitions and compete against others.
“It will also serve as an avenue for us to look at prospects for competitions within the country and internationally,” she said.
She stressed optimism that the competition would be a yearly event as it is part of the vision of the IGP which is to bring sports to the front burner in the Nigerian Police Force.
“Hopefully it will be an annual competition. The IGP has the vision to see that we have regular competitions in all the associations so that everybody will be part of it.
“Apart from that, his dream is to see how we can bring Nigeria Police sports to the front burner again so that we can begin to have people in the national team as we used to have them in the past years.
“If competitions are regular, there is hope that our people will begin to feel important again compared to the past glory we had . We want to bring back the glory.
“We want to see how we can restore the gold records we had. We used to have people like Chioma Ajunwa and Sunday Bade in our national teams, always featuring.
”Regular competitions will give us the leverage and help our people to measure up in the country and by so doing take them to national teams and promote the image of the force.
“I have been given the responsibility to see how we can move our different associations to that level,” she said.
DSP Briggs further added that the first edition will concentrate on sister agencies such as the Nigerian Army, Navy, Customs, Fire Service, Road Safety, among others
She noted that invitation will be extended to nearby states – the Federal Capital Territory, Niger and Nasarawa to participate
“We are looking forward to having them join us. It is the first edition but subsequently, we hope to get everybody involved.”
The IGP Open Weightlifting Championship will feature all categories.
Featured
Nigeria’s Historic Bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games: A Call for National and Global Support
Joel Ajayi
Nigeria is poised to make history as it seeks to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a monumental opportunity that promises to transform the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and global standing.
More than a sporting spectacle, the Games would serve as a catalyst for development across multiple sectors, leaving behind a legacy of national pride and sustainable growth.
The benefits of hosting the Games extend far beyond the sports arena. Nigeria stands to gain both empirical and non-empirical advantages, with direct, indirect, and induced impacts that will touch every corner of society. Infrastructural development will take center stage, with new facilities such as indoor sports halls, conference centers, and improved road networks reshaping urban landscapes while strengthening the nation’s capacity to host future international events.
Economic growth is another significant dividend. Over 10,000 jobs are expected to be created, spanning construction, facility management, event planning, and tourism services.
The hospitality industry will undergo major improvements as hotels and resorts are upgraded to meet international standards, while local restaurants, lounges, and tourist attractions will see a surge in patronage from international visitors. Small and medium enterprises, particularly in the transport, finance, and food service sectors, will become some of the greatest beneficiaries, as the Games generate new demand and expand opportunities for local businesses.
The Commonwealth Games will also accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s sports industry.
Investments in training facilities, coaching, and talent development will inspire a new generation of athletes, ensuring long-term benefits that extend beyond 2030, a major focus of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
At the same time, the process of preparing for the Games will create opportunities for Nigerians to learn new crafts, acquire technical skills, and engage in global-standard event management, thereby strengthening human capacity and innovation across industries.
Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, and Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Director General, have been widely recognized for their tireless and visionary leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s sporting sector.
Their commitment to facilitating infrastructural development and strengthening grassroots sports development has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s bold bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Under their leadership, the NSC is fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovation in sports administration, they have demonstrated the nation’s readiness to stage an event of such global magnitude.
Beyond the tangible gains, the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games carries profound symbolic value. It would be a moment of unity and pride, a chance for Nigeria to showcase its cultural richness, resilience, and excellence to the world.
As a centenary edition, the Games would stand as a historic milestone not just for the Commonwealth but for Nigeria itself, cementing its place on the global stage as a capable, ambitious, and forward-looking nation.
The gains from hosting the Commonwealth Games can never be undermined or overemphasized. This is Nigeria’s time to step forward and show the world our resilience, and excellence. We call on every Nigerian, across sectors and communities, to support this noble aspiration.
Nigeria’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a vision for transformation, a blueprint for national development, and a legacy project that will inspire generations to come.
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