The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has urged Nigerians to embrace sports for the sake of physical fitness and good health.

The jurist gave the admonition during the ceremonial tee off of the fourth edition of the Bar and Bench Golf Open hosted by the prestigious IBB International Golf and Country Club at the weekend.

The CJN, who was represented by Justice Helen M. Ogunwumiju, described the game of golf as one of the best ways to avoid ill health as people grow old. “Golf is a very good game, there is no age limit as long as you can walk. I encourage Nigerians to engage in sports for their benefit,” CJN said.

He said the Bar and Bench Golf Open will help lawyers and juries to socialise and know themselves better.

The chairman of the organizing committee and a retired Appeal Court Justice, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, said the objective of the tournament was to strengthen the cordial relationships among the bar and bench professionals.

“As we all know that 24hours we are in the courtroom, chambers, and library, we always find it difficult to interact. So, this tourney will help to relax the brain, healthy body, and healthy mind to continue to do our work effectively.”

Handicapper 11 Emmanuel Ejeh emerged the overall winner of the one-day championship. He posted a score of 45 points with the nett of 9.1 to outshine the field of 213 golfers that featured in this year’s edition.

Speaking shortly after receiving the giant trophy, an elated Mr. Ejeh said the victory will spur him to improve on his game.

“The game is all about being calculative, very patient and a whole lot of determination and I am champion today. A lot of people will come out in the next edition which calls for more hard work for me to better and keep the game up.”

In her remark, President of the Appeal Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem expressed: “it’s a tournament of love between Bar and Bench, we are here to enjoy nature, enjoy ourselves, this is more like a relaxing atmosphere.”