Over 1000 athletes for NOGIG 2020

Over 1000 athletes will participate in the 18th edition of Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games (NOGIG) 2020, which begins tomorrow in Lagos. The opening ceremony will hold at Chevron Recreation Centre, Gbagada.

Speaking at the pre-games media briefing held at the EROTON secretariat, Victoria Island Lagos yesterday, chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Aminu Zaria stated that the over 1000 athletes would 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 are football, athletics, volleyball, chess and scrabble. swimming, 8-ball Pool and basketball will also feature at the games.

Zaria, who is heading the organising committee for the second consecutive games stated 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 intergrity in the oil industry,” Zaria said.

First Vice Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chido Okoli corroborated what the chairman said, “the games are purely recreational. It’s not a professional competition and indeed, we are here to catch fun and establish connectivity among players in the industry.”

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.