Femi Solaja
Over 1000 athletes will be participating in the 18th Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games, NOGIG 2020 beginning tomorrow in Lagos. The opening ceremony has been planned for Chevron Recreation Centre, Gbagada.
Speaking at the pre-games media briefing held at the EROTON secretariat, Victoria Island on Friday, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Aminu Zaria, said that the over 1000 athletes will be representing 12 companies in 13 sports disciplines which include golf, tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton.
Other sports to feature at the week-long fiesta include football, athletics, volleyball, chess, scrabble, swimming, 8-ball pool and basketball.
Zaria, who is heading the organising committee for the second consecutive games explained that the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games which began as a recreational pastime between two companies, NNPC and Mobil had grown in leaps and bounds considering the increase in the number of participating companies and the number of sports that feature at the games.
“This year, we have 12 companies participating. These include, NNPC, ExxonMobil, Total, Shell, Chevron, NAOC, DPR, SEPLAT and PTI. Others include NCDMB, NLNG and EROTON.”
The NOGIG boss explained that with a very strict regime of scrutinizing competing athletes, there was a zero chance of any company presenting non-staff as their representative.
“We have a full-proof method that effectively checks and forestalls any use of mercenaries. Above all we are guided by the principle of integrity in the oil industry,” Zaria said.
Team Shell are the overall defending champions having emerged winners of the 2018 edition. They were followed by NNPC in the medal table.
The final of NOGIG 2020 Games comes up Saturday, February 29 at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Surulere, Lagos with athletics and the final football match on display.
