Sports

General Abdullahi Declares World Military CISM Basketball Championships Open Germany

Published

3 years ago

July 5, 2022

The International Military Sports Council CISM Vice President For Africa, Major General Maikano Abdullahi has declared open the 1st edition of the World Military CISM Basketball Championships in Warendorf, Germany.

General Abdullahi who is a special Guest and representative of CISM President at the opening noted that every summer and Winter Olympic Games military athletes are able to win around 25% of Olympic medals due to the high quality level of performance of CISM athletes.

In his remarks he said, thirteen (13) World Military Championships have been scheduled in addition to the World Winter Games, Cadet World Games, Hero’s Military Games and the Futsal Cup for Peace.

He is optimistic that it’s going to be an excellent week because great deal of work has gone into the preparations for the 1st edition of CISM Military Basketball 3x 3 Challenge and the cultural and social events.

CISM Vice President commended the German CISM Chief Delegate for his efforts and those of his personnel, at the same time congratulate the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, and other members of the Central Organizing Committee of the German Armed Forces, and their team, for the work perfectly well done.

“It has been a very significant and challenging couple of years for CISM. The delegation from China hosted a very successful 7th Military World Games in Wuhan in October 2019, an event. I know many of you attended.

“Over 100 countries participated with about 9300 athletes, coaches, and officials coming together on the sports fields and arenas to demonstrate the motto of CISM “FRIENDSHIP THROUGH SPORT. I know we will experience that same camaraderie here this week”, he said.

General Abdullahi recalled the year 2020 as an unusual period and very difficult for everyone due to the pandemic of COVID-19 and that is why CISM cannot organize many events for the last 2 years. And despite the difficulties faced in 2021, still due to the pandemic, CISM organized 13 Miltary Word Championships, International Symposium and the Futsal Cup for Peace.

In attendance at the opening of the CISM Miltary Basketball 3x 3 Challenge were the Chief of the German delegations, representative from 140 member countries.

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Sports

A Triumphant Close to the 22nd National Sports Festival

Published

3 days ago

May 29, 2025

The Gleamer

…As organisers promise another spectacle at closing ceremony on Thursday

Joel Ajayi

After 11 days of a true showcase of sporting competition in multiple Sports by some of the country’s top and even promising athletes, the curtain will finally be drawn on what many have described as one of the best ever organised National Sports festivals, when the closing ceremony is held on Thursday at the MKO Sports Arena in Abeokuta.

Whilst the quality of the Games’ opening ceremony is still getting tongues wagging, the entire sporting family and beyond is now anxiously looking forward to what the closing ceremony will look like.

The last 11 days have showcased Ogun state as a true Sporting hub with potential to even do more, with the quality of the facilities built for the games and the enthusiasm of the people who made the various venues their second home in the last few days.

A big testament to this was the history-making crowd that attended the male football final between Ogun state and Kwara State, which the host won by 4-1.

The MKO stadium was filled to full capacity while the crowd outside watching from the big screen reminds one of how much Sports is truly the soul of our togetherness as a country.

From the Alake Sports centre in Ijeja and the Baptist boys high school, to the Obafemi Awolowo square and the Remo stadium both in Ikenne, to the NYSC orientation camp in Shagamu, and the Ilisan town hall in Ilisan, the festival never lacked spectatorship throughout the games.

The Games actually lived up to the pre-tournament hype as both the National Sports Commission, NSC and the Ogun state Government pulled out every administrative capacity to ensure both athletes, officials and the media have an unforgettable experience.

The Gateway Games 2024 had been full of exciting drama and intrigues amongst the states and athletes which led to different new records being set and some old records being shattered.

The festival has also produced for the country some new exciting young talents especially with the shocking performance of the 38th state, the Invited Junior Athletes ( IJA), where they ended up winning some surprised medals to justify the Commission’s establishment of the initiative.

As the Closing ceremony holds on Thursday, the leadership of the National Sports commission, NSC, expresses its profound gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government for making sure millions of Nigerian youths see a renewed brighter future in the country through the National Sports Festival.
The NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dilko said ” our overwhelming gratitude goes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, for his personal commitment to the development of Nigerian Sports by giving us every support financially and otherwise for the success of this festival”.

” And the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun also deserves a huge praise for the feat we all recorded with these games. I can’t thank him enough and posterity will surely remember him for good “.

The NSC Director General who is also the Chairman of the Main organising committee of the games, Hon Bukola Olopade also extended his gratitude to all the technocrats behind the scene that are responsible for the successful organisation of the games.

” From all the members of the Main organising committee to the various sub committees, to members of the local organising committees and all our technical officials in the various sports to the media and our athletes, every success that everyone is talking about concerning these Games belongs to you all”.

” Yes it was not a perfect festival because we acknowledged we had also some challenges but let me assure everyone that some of the challenges are already being worked upon ahead of the next Games holding in Enugu state next year”, he concluded.

The Closing ceremony is expected to bring together top Government functionaries to captain of industries while there will also be the rich cultural display of the state as Ogun state will officially pass the barton of hosting to Enugu state for the 23rd edition of the Games come September 2026.

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