MINDEF rewards meritorious staff at cross-country race.

 It was held Monday May 19, 2025. It came in prelude to the 53^rd edition of the National Day.

The kick off was presided at by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, Saïd Kamsouloum, who represented the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo. 

This was in the presence of a number of civil and military officials from the Ministry of Defence and their partner institutions.

The race which kicked off at 6:00a.m., saw the participation of officers drawn from across the five Joint Military Regions. 

The first category of the race was 2.8 kilometres for physically challenged officers and war victims. 

There was also the category for those on wheelchairs and another category measuring 14.8 kilometres for the abled officers below 35 and the last category was a sports walk measuring 2 kilometres for officers above 35 years.

As in previous years, athletes from the Armed Forces, National Security, Customs, Forest Guards, Prison Service and public companies such as the Douala Port, Source Tangui and other institutions took part at the Cross MINDEF.

The finishing point of the race was at the Military Headquarters Brigade which also featured a display of Karate from young children. The event was graced by rich cultural and artistic performances. 

Winners of the four categories as well as special prizes to sponsors of the event were awarded by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Beti Assomo Joseph.

This was during his visit to the Defence and Security Open Days at the Yaounde Air Base 101. 

Also present during the award ceremony was the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, the Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele, the Director General of the Customs Department, Fongod Edwin Nuvaga, senior military officials from Cameroon, neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and a host of other dignitaries. 

At the end of the race, the award of the best female athlete in the over 35 years category went to Mbile Mpeck Nang while the winner in the male category was Nyanme Rolland.

In the less than 35 years category, the first female prize went to Essoa Takioh Amidou and the best male went to Oumarou Mahamadou.

In the wheelchairs category, the first prize went to Mouhaman Aladji while Moussa Digaï took the prize of the best inferior amputee category and Hamakreo Raphael in the superior amputee category. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3451 of Wednesday May 21, 2025