President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare open the 16th Nigerian Army Sports Festival at the National Stadium, Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
In a statement on Sunday, the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Games Major-Gen. John Malu confirmed the president would be at the opening ceremony.
“We have invited the 36 state governors and all the ministers. It is going to be high profile ceremony,’’ Malu said.
He said the one-week event would also be used by the Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to mark the beginning of victory in the war against terror in Nigeria.
Malu added, “The war on terror is almost over.If soldiers that are engaged in the fight against terror can have time to participate in sports, people are free to come to Nigeria to invest and go about their business peacefully.
“That is one of the main reasons for this event. To reassure the international community that Nigeria is very safe.”
According to him, 1,760 athletes from across six Divisions of the Army would compete in 19 sports.
They are football, table tennis, tennis, chess, scrabble, taekwondo, judo, wrestling, half marathon, tug of war and boxing, athletics, obstacle crossing and combat relay.
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