Brig. Gen Maikano Abdulahi, Deputy Director Sports at Defence Headquarters, has shown his willingness for the posts of President of the Organisation of Military Sports in Africa (OSMA) and the Vice-President of the International Sports Council (CISM) as all 51 African delegates will elect the new OSMA President at the General Assembly meeting on October 7 as he will automatically become the CISM vice president for Africa if he wins the election.
Speaking to the press at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, he stated that he would not let the Armed Forces of Nigeria down if given the mandate, He also vowed to protect the good image of the country by ensuring it is well represented in military sports in Africa, “I will project the good image of Nigeria better in both CISM and OSMA, promote military sports in Nigeria and Africa. I will also ensure that our continent is adequately represented in all CISM sporting events and World General Assemblies and it will also give me the opportunity to promote sports and encourage good sporting relationships among the 51 African countries.”
He is a fellow of the National Association of Physical and Health Education Recreation Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD) and has won several national and international awards in Cameroon, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Niger and Guinea. The senior officer will jostle with candidates from Algeria, Kenya, and Guinea for the OSMA spot.
In spite of concern about the entrenched Anglophone- Francophone dichotomy that is always in play in African sports, Abdulahi, who speaks French, Arabic in addition to Hausa and English, said he has an advantage as he hopes to split the votes with Kenyan candidate.
He noted he also has many friends in the Francophone bloc having served as the first Secretary-General of OSMA in Yaounde and as Technical Liaison of the body in Ouagadougou and will split the Anglophone votes from East Africa and Southern Africa.
