Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar has disclosed that athletes who excel in the forthcoming Police Games scheduled for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, from 3rd to 9th March, 2013, will be groomed to raise a formidable team that will represent the Nigeria Police Force at the biennial World Police and Fire Games (WPFG). The 2013 edition of WPFG is scheduled for 1st to 10th August, 2013, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The biennial World Police and Fire Games is an athletic fiesta open to agencies throughout the world. Athletes from Seventy (70) countries of the world are expected at the 2013 edition of the Games, to compete in sixty-six (66) sporting events, including athletics, Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis, Marshall arts like Judo, wrestling, Teakwando, football. The Nigeria Police contingent will be featuring in twenty-eight of the sixty-six events.
Abubakar stated that Nigeria Police athletes are not strangers to international sporting events like the World Police and Fire Games, as some of them have represented Nigeria in similar Games like the Commonwealth Games, the All African Games and even the Olympics. He assured Police athletes who have not enjoyed such international exposure to look forward to 2013 edition of the Games in Belfast.
In a similar vein, the IGP has approved the invitation of Police athletic teams from five (5) countries of the West African sub-region, to participate in the 10th Biennial Police Games in Port Harcourt. The athletes who will compete in the 4 x 100 Invitation Relay races during the closing ceremonies on 9th March, 2013, are expected from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Republic of Benin, Senegal and Gambia.
While the Police Authority of Ghana and Republic Benin have confirmed the attendance of their Athletic Teams, confirmation from the other three countries will hopefully be received before the closing date of the Games.
The IGP stated that invitation to athletic teams of Police organizations from these West African countries is aimed at strengthening personal and professional relationship among Police outfits in
the Sub-region; an effort he believes will positively impact on transnational crime fighting synergy among Police Organisations in the West African Sub-region. He advised host athletes to show love to the visiting athletes.
