FAP, pacesetters in athletics

They are not only the oldest but also the most capped athletic club in Cameroon winning both cup and championship this year.

FAP athletics club this year won both the championship and the pioneer edition of the Cup of Cameroon. This gives us the opportunity to pry into the life of the club in order to know the reason for their success over the years.

According to the assistant director of the club, Lieutenant Witouanga Leopold, the club was created around 1983 with the intention of enabling soldiers to keep fit for duty through the practice of athletics.

In quest of good performances, talented civil servants were eventually integrated into the club. Today the club has 60 athletes drawn from all over the national territory taking part in competitions in the various categories of athletics namely, running, discus throw, long and high jump and so on.

The lieutenant says the success of his club has been due to discipline and hard work coupled with the fact that there is peaceful and cordial relationship between the military and civilian athletes of the club.

More so, the directorate of sports and cultural affairs in the ministry of Defense has been giving them the necessary logistic and financial support.

For instance he said athletes train in their respective regions under the supervision of military sports instructors and the military provides transportation, lodging and feeding allowances to the athletes when in competition.

“At first we used to travel by trucks but today we are transported in modern buses,” said Djikada Monique a military athlete of the club.

Owing to the good mood in the club, Alain Fotso says most civilian athletes of the club end up joining the military, having fallen in love with the military.

He also stated that the military also has a policy of recruiting talented athletes who wish to make a career in the military. It was as such that ace mountaineers like Timothy Lekunze were recruited.

FAP over the years has produced many talented athletes who have won national and international title for the military like Messanga François alias Aouita, Nkwete Paul, Mandengue Christian alias ‘Autorail’ and Djendola Pierre who left from an athlete to an IAAF instructor as well as Ademega Joseph.

FAP won the first military games in Germany 1983 and 91987 and other military games in Italy, France, Morocco and Tunisia. The ambition of the club now is to conserve the leadership position they occupy as well as prepare well for the next military games.