Sports
Shell Wins NOGIG Games, Again
For the third time running, Shell has won the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games (NOGIG), posting a commanding victory streak in the history of the 30-year old triennial competition.
At the end of the week-long NOGIG 2018 in Lagos, Team Shell topped the medal table with 11 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze, leaving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron in second and third places, respectively.
While reflecting on the performance of the contingent, Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Ltd and Country Chair, Shell Companies: Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, said “Team Shell’s record win is well-deserved.
The games present a good opportunity for all of us in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria to be physically active and network in an atmosphere of healthy rivalry, and we wish to commend Team Shell for the hard work and commitment which have earned them a top place at the medal table for three consecutive years.”
NOGIG 2018 – the 17th edition – held February 18 – 24 with 13 companies competing in football, squash, table tennis, lawn tennis, scrabble, chess, snooker, swimming, golf, basketball, 100 metres dash 200 metres and 4×100 metres relay.
The games came to a climax at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, with the finals of a football match, 100 meters sprint (men/women), 200 metres sprints (men/women) and 4 X 100 metres relay.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, chief host of the games and NNPC GMD, Dr Maikanti Baru, commended the athletes for competing keenly and fairly, and hoped that the quality of the games would continue to improve in the coming years.
In their separate speeches, Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and Lagos State Governor, Ambode Akinwunmi echoed the same sentiments in the goodwill messages they sent to the ceremony.
General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli represented Shell at the event and received the winner’s trophy from the NNPC GMD amid cheers and jubilation.
Manager Team Shell, Alex Onumbu, who was the also the vice chairman of the local organising committee of the games, thanked the management of Shell Companies in Nigeria for their support to the athletes who made Shell proud.
He said: “The amount of hard work and discipline that underpin our participation and victory can only be imagined. We want to pay tribute to our athletes, who in addition to their normal work, took the time and pains to train, compete and win.
“And of course, we also own a huge debt of gratitude to our management, because without their untiring support, we would have gone nowhere. This record victory is not just for Team Shell – it is for all of us!,” he said.
NOGIG began in 1986 as a squash tournament in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. The 18th edition of the games is expected to hold in 2020.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.