Mens sana in corpore sano is a Latin phrase, usually translated as ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body.’
The phrase is widely used in sports circle to express the theory that physical exercise is an important or essential part of mental and psychological well-being.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has keyed to this philosophy by instituting annual inter-directorate football competition.
Speaking at the grand finale of the fourth edition of tournament held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Secondary School, Lagos, the managing director of FAAN, Capt. Hamisu Yadudu, encouraged staff to participate in sporting activities to boost their physical and mental alertness.
He said sport is necessary for human development stressing that sport makes all parts of the human body to work optimally.
The managing director who was represented by the director of finance and accounts, Mrs. Nike Aboderin, said management would continue to sponsor the football game including any other sporting activity in the country.
“The tournament has come to stay and I want to assure you that management will continue to give necessary support to this project within the confines of resources available at our disposal. FAAN will continue to promote and encourage our staff to engage in different sporting activities.
“To all the teams that have participated in this tournament from the various directorates, I congratulate you all. Unfortunately, in tournaments like this, only a winner will emerge, but you all have done very well. I congratulate the winner of this tournament and I urge you to keep up the winning spirit and also embrace excellence in all aspects of your life,” he said.
Yadudu congratulated the local organising committee for putting together a successful tournament.
He recalled that at a recent Public Service Games held in Bauchi State, FAAN football team defeated all other teams from various public organisations to clinch the gold medal.
Earlier, the chairman of the organising committee, Mr. Jimoh Sani, had explained that the essence of the tournament was to instill unity, togetherness and improve the health status of every worker of the agency.
He assured that the committee would inject lawn tennis, table tennis and basketball in subsequent editions of the tournament, starting from the 2020 tournament.
“The essence of the tournament is to instill unity, togetherness and fair play among the seven directorates in FAAN. We see it as a family game. There is no loser or winner at the end of the day. Every contestant has something to go home with, including the team that came seventh in the tournament, but as you all know, the team that comes first would get highest prize available. That is the rule.
“We want to enhance our health status and improve our productivity with this competition. We know that a healthy worker is a productive worker. That is what we are driving out. This competition like others is sponsored by the management. And management is ever ready to shoulder any issue that may arise from this competition such as injury and others, he added.
In the football match played between Team Directorate of Human Resources and Administration (DHR&A) and Team Directorate of Airport Operations (DAO), the former won by a lone goal.
Team DHR&A ran away with a giant trophy and cash reward of N7, 500; the first runner up, DAO got N500, 000, while the third placed team received N350, 000.
