Public Service Games: SGF Team Optimistic of Retaining Title

…Defeats Ministry of Women Affairs 6-0

…As Rivers hospitality excites Athletes, Officials

By Obiabin Onukwugha

The female Handball Team from the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SFG) team defeated Ministry of Women Affairs 6-0 at the ongoing 43rd edition of the Public Service games in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the weekend.
The games which kicked off on November 27, 2024, is expected to culminate on December 5, 2024, with about 10,000 athletes drawn from the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Speaking shortly after the match, which took place at the Alfred Diete Spiff, Sharks Stadium/Civic Centre, Head Coach of the SGF team, StellaMarris Olisa, expressed optimism of retaining the title they won on the last edition.
Olisa who stated that their opponents were no-match for them, said her team has been winning the title for over a decade.
“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 quipped.
Mrs. Olisa however urged the organizers of the sporting event to improve the lighting system in and around the Alfred Diette Spiff Civic Center, hosting some of the events.
She stated”We were supposed to play this match yesterday night but there was no light, so my advice to them is that, subsequently, they should look into the lighting of the stadium, venue of games.”
Meanwhile, both participating officials and athletes have began expressing their excitement over the warm hospitality of Rivers State.
Speaking with journalists, a volleyball Coach for the National Assembly Service Commission (NASS), Richard Benson, said his team were having so much fun in the games.
Benson, whose team defeated the Federal Ministry of Interior 2-0, described the Rivers State sporting environment as welcoming.
He said: “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.”