By ADERONKE OJO

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, says the 2026 Abuja Military Barracks Youth Sports Championship will promote youth development, discipline, unity and talent discovery among young people in military barracks.

Oluyede said this on Tuesday while declaring the five-day championship open in Abuja.

Represented by the Chief of Defence Administration, Rear Adm. Saburi Lawal, the CDS said the championship would bring together youths from military barracks across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to foster friendship, healthy competition and mutual cooperation.

He said the initiative would also encourage participants to embrace the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and excellence.

“This competition is not just about winning or losing. It is about the journey, camaraderie and the spirit of healthy competition.

“It is about pushing oneself to greater heights, overcoming challenges and striving for excellence,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the five-day championship, organised by the Defence Headquarters, began on Aug. 3 at the Mogadishu Cantonment Sports Complex and Aguyi Ironsi Sports Complex, Abuja, and will end on Aug. 7.

Oluyede commended the organisers, coaches, trainers, officials and mentors for their commitment to the success of the championship and urged participants to compete with discipline, fairness and respect.

He expressed confidence that the event would inspire more young people to embrace sports while strengthening friendship among youths in military barracks.

Speaking with newsmen after the day’s football matches, Lawal said the championship was conceived to keep children in military barracks meaningfully engaged during the long school vacation.

According to him, the initiative complements the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s non-kinetic approach to addressing insecurity by engaging youths in productive activities that reduce their exposure to crime and violent extremism.

He said the level of discipline, preparation and commitment displayed by participants reflected the positive impact of sports on youth development.

Lawal disclosed that experienced scouts and mentors were monitoring the competition to identify outstanding talents for mentorship and progression to higher levels of competition.

“We have scouts and mentors who have been with us since the commencement of the championship and will remain until the end.

“The essence is to identify talented athletes and support them to develop their skills and advance to the next level,” he said.

He said the Defence Headquarters planned to expand the competition beyond Abuja, with future editions featuring state qualifiers leading to a national championship.

Lawal also reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to gender inclusion, noting that boys and girls were given equal opportunities to participate and showcase their talents.

Earlier, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Rear Adm. Gideon Kachim, said the championship underscored the CDS’ commitment to youth empowerment and sports development.

Kachim said the competition would strengthen friendship, teamwork and discipline among participants while providing a platform to discover future sporting talents.

He added that retired senior military officers with distinguished sporting records had been engaged as mentors, observers and scouts.

According to him, Air Vice Marshal Abiola Amodu (Rtd.) will mentor volleyball participants, Brig.-Gen. Asido Yellow-Duke (Rtd.) will mentor basketball players, while Commodore Chima Mpi (Rtd.) will mentor football participants.

NAN reports that eight teams are competing in the men’s football event, while four teams are participating in the women’s competition.

The participating barracks are Mambilla Barracks, Mogadishu Cantonment Barracks, NAF Valley Base, Nigerian Navy Base Barracks, General A.O. Azazi Barracks, NAF Bill Clinton Base, Shittu Alao Barracks and Lungi Barracks.

In the women’s football final, Mogadishu Cantonment Barracks defeated NAF Bill Clinton Base 4-2 on penalties after regulation time ended 2-2 to emerge champions.

In the men’s round-robin matches, General A.O. Azazi Barracks defeated Nigerian Navy Base Barracks 4-0, while Lungi Barracks thrashed NAF Bill Clinton Base 5-0.

The championship also featured volleyball, basketball and a roller-skating exhibition, with competitions continuing at the designated venues. (NAN)

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