About 4,200 athletes and 500 officials will converge in Port Harcourt ,Rivers State for the 10th Biennial Police Games from the 3rd to 9th March, 2013, in three different sporting venues in the nation’s Garden City. This revelation was made by the Deputy Force Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, at Force Headquarters, Abuja .
Speaking on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, the Force Spokesman informed that the 4,200 athletes are Police men and women drawn from Police Commands and Formations across the country, to represent Zones 1- 12 Commands of the Nigeria Police Force and Force Headquarters. The presence of these athletes he said, will expectedly, add glamour to the social life of the people of Port Harcourt and its environs, during the period of the Games. It is also expected that economic activities will be positively impacted while the Games last.
CSP Mba revealed that the athletes will be competing in 28 events, three of which are non-scoring, at three different venues. These are the Liberation Stadium which will also host both the Opening and Closing ceremonies, the new Adokiye Amesiemaka Stadium and the Agbani Derego Sports Complex; all in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The 25 scoring events to be competed for at the Games are athletics, football, badminton, boxing, chess, cycling, baseball, golf, handball, hockey, judo, karate, kick-boxing, swimming, scrabble, squash, table tennis, shooting, taekwondo, tennis, tug-of-war, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu kunfu; while the remaining three events which are non-scoring are rugby, polo and dart.
Speaking on officiating during the Games, the Force Spokesman stated that 500 officials, drawn from various national and local Sports Associations, will be on assignment as umpires in their respective areas of specialization. He assured that the best of officiating is expected, as adequate arrangement has been made for the officials in terms of logistics, security and welfare, to ensure a successful fiesta.
Addressing the issue of drugs and doping by athletes, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer revealed that the IGP has personally warned that very severe disciplinary action will be meted against any athlete found doping during the Games. The DFPRO said that the Nigeria
Police Force not only feels very strongly against doping by athletes, it also frowns seriously against all such nefarious acts, as the chief law enforcement agency in the country. For these reasons he said, adequate arrangement are already in place to subject athletes to necessary tests, during the period of the Games. He advised athletes to keep away from drugs and all illicit performance enhancement substances, as they stand the risk of dismissal from the Force, if caught.
The 10th Biennial Police Games promise to showcase the best of sports and fun, as it is meant to shift the psyche of officers and men, at least, within the period of the Games, from their usual rigid and nerve-wrecking law enforcement schedule.
It is time to exhibit sporting talents in the Force and the entire sporting community, national and international, are once more, invited to come, see and join us discover champions that will bring glory to Nigeria in the nearest future. Port Harcourt is the place and the Force is ready to leverage on the hospitality of the people of Rivers State , to take sports to the next level.
