By Shulamite Owhoekevbo
As part of activities marking her retirement after 35 years of meritorious service in the Delta State Civil Service, the Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Mininim Oseji, has organised a novelty basketball tournament to celebrate her passion for sports and promote physical fitness.
The tournament, which took place last Saturday at the Official Residence of the Head of Service in Asaba, featured the Delta State Female Basketball Team and the Delta State Junior Male Team, both known as Delta Force.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Oseji said the tournament was deliberately included in her retirement activities to promote her passion for basketball and encourage people to embrace physical fitness as part of a healthy lifestyle.
She commended the players for their impressive performance and expressed optimism that the tournament would inspire others to take up sports, either as a recreational activity or as a means of keeping fit.
The Head of Service, who performed the ceremonial tip-off to commence the match, called on the government and other employers of labour to continue to promote physical fitness by investing in the health and well-being of their workforce.
According to her, basketball provides a comprehensive form of exercise because it engages virtually every part of the body. She therefore urged workers to engage regularly in physical activities to maintain good health and physical fitness.
The keenly contested match ended in victory for the Female Team, which defeated the Junior Male Team 19–12.
Speaking on behalf of the players, the captain of the Female Team, Miss Blessing Ekpeti, thanked Dr. Oseji for the opportunity to participate in the tournament and appreciated her continued support for the development of their basketball careers.
The tournament was coordinated by the Technical Education Commissioner, Mr. Lucky Ikeke, with Mr. Morgan Egodo and Mr. Paul Osike serving as referees.