Physical fitness, a basic requirement for military personnel

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Div. Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen Kabiru Mukthar, says military personnel must sustain their state of physical fitness to ensure productivity in line of duty.
Mukthar stated this on Friday at the closing ceremony of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC),Jaji bi-annual sports competition for the year 2022, which had 300 athletes participating.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the athletes were drawn from the headquarters of the AFCSC, as well as Land, Maritime and Air warfare departments.
A total of 14 sporting events featured in the competition, namely football, tennis, volleyball, handball, swimming, squash, badminton, golf, Basketball, scrabble and tug of war, among others.
The GOC said sports are normal activities which formed part of the curriculum of the College.
“Physical fitness or events like this reduces stress and makes the personnel more productive, and also brings about sportsmanship between various departments, services and civilian staff.
“I know sports as one of the easiest activity that brings people together to cooperate towards achieving the same aim, which is to ‘victory’.
Muktar said he was not surprised by the spectacular performance of the atheletes, adding that most of them engaged in sports.
According to him, there is a specified kilometers of race which they must cover before passing out, either in the senior or junior course.
Earlier, the Commandant of the AFCSC, AVM Olurotimi Tuwase, said that Sports engagement was one of the requirement in the training of middle cadre officers to prepare them to assume staff and command responsibilities.
He said that sporting activities were not only to enhance the personnel fitness, but also ensure they imbibed spirit of corporation in team work.
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“As the case is in having a winner or a looser, there is always a message to go with, which is working harder by the winners in order to maintain the top position even in the field, to sustain victory in battles,” Tuwase said.
NAN report that the Department of Land warfare emerged winner with six gold , while Headquarters of the AFCSC, came 2nd with five gold, and Air warfare came 3rd with four gold, just as Maritime warfare came 4th with two gold .