Our Reporter
ATHLETES participating in the 12th edition of the biennial Police Games tagged ‘Anambra 2020’ have said that getting promotions after winning gold medal at the game is their greatest motivation.
Some of the athletes also urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Adamu Mohammed Abubakar, to increase the reward to the overall zonal winner of the event to N100m cash price and N50m worth of equipment, arguing that such gesture will make the tournament more competitive.
A kick boxer from zone 10, George Lucky, noted that he couldn’t afford to miss the chances of the 2008 edition when his bronze medal was not enough to earn him promotion like his counterparts that won gold during the tournament.
Lucky, who picked the semi-finals ticket after a bloody clash at the ongoing games, boasted that he is mentally and physically ready to pick the gold medal, affirming that he is desperate for promotion.
Also, the chairman Police Cycling, CSP Abbas Abdullahi, pleaded that cash and equipment rewards would be enough motivation.
“Our request to the police authority is that there should be reward in a Game of this magnitude for us to have a befitting game in the next edition. I don’t think a reward of N100 million will be too much for the winning zone and N50 million worth of equipment.
On the challenges facing cycling, he said: “There are multiple challenges facing cycling. First is the issue of lack of recognition. I don’t think we have given cycling the priority it deserves. The civil engineers have not taken note that they should accommodate cyclists in building roads.”
Meanwhile, athletes have started winning medals in some of the games concluded yesterday. In Taekwondo, Omobobola Ajayi of Force Headquarters Abuja picked gold after defeating Olarewaju Adegoke of Zone 11 in the women heavy weight category.
Adegoke settled for silver, while Attah Queen of Zone 5 won bronze after defeating Augusta Ogbalo of Zone 6. In men’s football event played at the Otuocha Township Stadium, Zone 6 defeated Zone 2 by a lone goal to pick three point in their campaign for football gold.
In the other matches played at the same venue, Zone 7 humbled Zone 8 by 2-0, while Zone 9 and Zone 2 ended their encounter 0-0 in the women’s football event. Action continues today in kickboxing, badminton, football, chess, cycling, hockey, judo, scrabble and shooting as the tournament enters day three.
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