…As officials, athletes commend Rivers hospitality
By: Felix Ikpotor
As the 43rd Federal Public Service Games, FEPSGA, christened “Simplified Games,” taking place in Rivers State enters it’s third day, some athletes and team officials taking part in the games have been paying glowing tributes to the hospitality and level of officiating in state.
This follows as most of the team sports such as football, handball and basketball began on Wednesday.
Speaking with journalist shortly after his team’s victory in the volleyball event on Saturday, Coach for the National Assembly Service Commission, male volleyball team, Richard Benson, said they are having fun in Port Harcourt.
Benson, whose team triumphed over the Federal Ministry of Interior 2:0, said he wished the games won’t come go and end soon.
“So far we just played our second game against the Ministry of Interior and God helped us, we won the game 2-0.
“The officiating and the organising has been so fantastic, we are actually having fun here, as it is we are even praying that the games should not end because we are having fun.
“The environment is equally fantastic, people of Rivers State are very very welcoming and receptive, sincerely speaking we are happy.”
On her part, Captain of the female handball team from the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), StellaMarris Olisa and defending champions in the female handball events boasted that her team would retain their title won last year.
Speaking to our correspondent after her team whitewashed the Ministry of Women Affairs female handball team by six I replied goals, Olisa said the their opponents were no-match for them in the competition.
“We just won our first match and I feel like I’m on top of the world, I knew that we were going to win because they (opponents) were not our match, we have been medalists for long, this is not our first outing, we’ve been here for over a decade and it’s a joyous thing as we continue to win.
“We are very optimistic that we will retain the gold. We won six nil, our opponents never dared to near our goal post,” she said.
The female handballer, however advised organizers to improve on the lighting system in the stsdium as their games was shifted to from Friday to Saturday because of poor lightening.
In other results from handball, in male category, National Museum defeated Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning 10:2 while Ministry of Works defeated Housing by 7:5. While the female category Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs defeated Ministry of Petroleum Resources by 4:2 amongst other results.
Meanwhile, in basket ball events, Nigerian Ports Authority secured a 30points victory by defeating Ministry of Regional Development by 42 – 12 in the male category.
Other results from basket ball are Raw Materials Development 39-7 Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Education 38-9 Ministry of Regional Development,Ministry of Defence 36-15 Ministry of Trade & Investment.
In female category Federal Inland Revenue Service defeated Ministry of Defence by 11:3.
Also, in the football events played at the football pitch of the Port Harcourt Club, Ministry of Aviation defeated Ministry of Petroleum Resources by a lone goal while
Hydro- Electric Power Producing Corporation, HYPPADEC pipped Ministry of Trade and Investments by three goals to nil.
In other results Federal Ministry of Housing won ICPC 4:3 on penalties after birth sides played a barren draw while Ministry of works lost to Ministry of Agriculture by 5 goals to nil.
