Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, has called on participants in the 42nd edition of the Federation of Public Service Games Association (FEPSGA) to maintain the relationships built during the games.
The Governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Alh. Abubakar Usman Gawu, made the declaration at the closing ceremony of the annual multi-sports event, held at the Bahago Sports Complex, Minna.
He observed that sports are a unifier and that a lot of relationships have been built through sports over the years, adding that Nigerians are more united through sports.
The governor also observed that in the spirit of the game, there are neither winners nor losers, as everyone who participated is a winner because what one does not gain in competition, he gains in participation.
While appreciating the FEPSGA President and his team for considering the state to host the 2023 edition of the games, the governor also expressed the readiness of the state to host the game again if given the chance.
He equally congratulated the entire FEPSGA team, as well as all the participants, for the successful completion of the event.
In his remarks earlier, the national president of FEPSGA, Mr. Aloku Amaebi, observed that Niger State has raised the bar for the organisation of the games and that it is a challenge for the next host if it is not Niger State again.
He appreciated the state government, under the leadership of Governor Umar Bago, for hosting the event and the warmth, reception, and hospitality accorded the FEPSGA officials and the entire participants throughout the 10-day multi-sports event.
Reacting to the protest by the football team of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over the use of ineligible players by the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) football team, the FEPSGA President urged the FAAN football team to exercise patience and allow the officials to handle the issue in the spirit of sportsmanship.
He assured that if their protest was investigated and it was found to be true that NPA used an ineligible player who is not a public servant, the team would be stripped of the medal and awarded to FAAN.
The NPA Football team clinched the football event trophy after beating the FAAN team by 5-4 through penalties as both teams played goalless at regulation time, while the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports team came in third, beating the Federal Mortgage Bank team via penalties by 4-3 after a goalless play at regulation time.
The Niger State contingent for the games won a total of 22 medals: eight golds, six silvers, and eight bronzes. The highlight of the event was the presentation of medals and trophies to the respective winners.