By: Joy Odor/Kaduna
The competition among the Military and Para-Military Service Game known as ‘One Service, One Medal’ (OSOM) Games seeking to discover talents that will fly Nigeria’s flag at the next Commonwealth Youth Games is underway.
This was made known to newsmen in Kaduna shortly after the OSOM Game Stakeholders Meeting at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Friday by the Director, Grassroots Sports Development, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Dr. Ademola Are.
According to him, the Ministry felt that there is need to bring the people together somewhere once in a while to see their performance and possibly look for podium success athletics.
Dr. Are affirmed that apart from the Military and Para-Military people coming, the Ministry have all the State in Nigeria invitational Relay Races including some selected schools within Kaduna for the Relay race to give the students the feeling of what elites athletics are doing, to let professionals serve as role models for the younger once in schools.
“The major objectives of the game is to see whether we can get even a single one athletic from any of the Services or Per-Service to represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Commonwealth Youth Game”
“The game is among the Military and Para-Military Service to tap in the talent among the service men and because of the last achievement representing Nigeria at the International that is why the Ministry felt that there is need to bring the people together somewhere once in a while to see their performance and possibly look for podium success athletics”
“Apart from this Military people coming, we have all the State in Nigeria invitational Relay Races that we are inviting some selected schools within Kaduna for the Relay race so that we can also give the children the feeling of what elites athletics are doing and let them serve as role models for the younger once in schools” he said.
The Director emphasized that the Ministry have visited some of the Chief of Services and are assured of good attendance at the game, adding that the some of the sports engaging are athletics, boxing, squash, table tennis, long tennis, wrestling, golf, dat among others.
Dr. Are was of the opinion that the Ministry made the decision to come to Kaduna because the its good sports facilities, the State Governor being Sport friendly and the people’s hospitality.
He pointed out that the entry of the game will determine the number of sporting activities they are going to have or feature, saying medals will be awarded while trophies will be given to overall winner at the end of the game.
“Kaduna besides having quality sports facilities, also is blessed with hospitable people and a sports loving governor, hence the decision to hold the One Service, One Medal (OSOM) Games in the city”.
“Governor Nasir El-Rufai to sports development could not be overlooked, leading to Kaduna hosting the games for the second time in three years” he ended.
Dr. Are mentioned that the game is expected to commence on the 26th of November to 3rd of December.
