Ist IGP Triathlon Invitational Tourney, Springboard for Commonwealth Games, Says Baba

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, said at the weekend that the 1st IGP National Invitational Triathlon Tournament would be a spring board for Nigeria’s participation in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Speaking at a two-day stakeholders’ seminar organised by the Nigeria Police Triathlon Association in collaboration with Nigerian Triathlon Union tagged: “Sensitisation on the Rules and Regulations of Triathlon” in preparation for the “IGP Usman Alkali Baba’s 1st National Triathlon Invitational” scheduled for December 4, 2021, the IG said the tournamemt was designed to reinvent triathlon in Nigeria, build capacity at the tournament which is expected to usher in a formidable team that would represent Nigeria in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Going down memory lane, he recalled that triathlon as a sport was first introduced in Nigeria in 2007 after which the game went into abeyance.

“In 2020, during the last police games, as then Chairman Force Sports Planning Committee, we decided to reinvent and give the game its first baptism of fire at the police games and since then the sport has been developing its structure within the police community.

“It is my desire, aspiration and prayers that this game becomes one of the most viable and fascinating games in the force and the nation at large.

“I want to state categorically that I have given this association my full support to host this seminar and chart the way forward for the of the 1st IGP Championship for the 4th of December, 2021”, he said.

He laid out the expected goals from the summit to include the emergence of a “formidable team that will represent Nigeria in the 2022 Commonwealth Games In Birmingham, England.

“Affording Nigeria the opportunity to build capacity that will enable us mobilise other Africa countries toward the actualisation of African triathlon events in the continent.

In the long run, the event which is hoped to be an annual event will enable Nigeria to tap into tourism potentials by bringing people all over the world to Abuja to participate in the event.

“This will increase travels to Abuja, hotels within the capital city will be occupied by guests thereby increasing the global market share of tourism in Nigeria and also bolstering Nigeria’s economy