By Francis Ameyibor
Tema, Aug. 15, GNA – The 2023 Petroleum Fun Games (PETFUN 2023) clock is ticking faster by the day, tension among the various teams is rising like tidal waves, and one thing is certain for each team: they will grab the ultimate goal, the trophy, at the end of the event.
The sack race has assumed prominence in the annual PETFUN as each participant has to adopt balancing skills in the sack, keep focus, and take calculated steps or run towards the finishing line.
The line-up for the sack race available to the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Sports Desk indicates that downstream giants GOIL Company PLC, Engen Ghana, R & P Oil Company, ICON Energy, TEL Energy, Star Oil Company, and HUSS Petroleum are set for the trophy.
Others who are seriously working out at the beaches to spring up a surprise and win the sake race are Superior Oil Company, JP Trustees, Radiance Petroleum, Petro Sankofa, Fuel Trade, Petronax Energy, Frimps Oil Company, Petrosol Ghana, and IBM Petroleum.
The rest are Trade-Cross, Sawadigo Oil Company, Aegis & Huille Company, Benab Oil Company, National Petroleum Authority, Cirrus Oil Services, Trinity Oil Company, GAB Energy, Vivo Energy Ghana, JO & JU Oil Company, ZEN Petroleum, Desert Oil Ghana, GRID Petroleum Ghana, Frontier Oil Ghana, Kabore Oil, and Strategic Energies.
The PETFUN 2023, organized by the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), is slated for August 26 at the Armed Forces Sports Complex, Burma Camp.
The various events in which the OMCs have registered to compete include swimming, Sack race, Tug of War, Draft, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Lime and Spoon, Playing Cards, Chewing of Apple, Ludo, and Football.
Information available to the Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Sports Desk indicates that some of the major OMCs, have engaged season coaches and set up secret training camps to prepare their various teams.
Engagement with some OMCs classified as smaller teams also indicates that they are going to cause some major upsets at PERFUN 2023 and dethrone some of the dominant teams.
The thrilling events for PETFUN 2023 scheduled for Saturday, August 26, start from 06:15 hours to 17:00 hours at the Prestigious Armed Forces Sports Complex, Burma Camp.
According to the organisers, AOMC, one of the major pre-event activities was the balloting of fixtures, which has usefully been completed to determine the schedule for the various disciplines.
Mr. Tizard Ansah, AOMC Compliance Officer, who is also the PETFUN 2023 coordinator, told the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Sports Desk in an interview that the balloting had set the stage for teams to take the route to each of the ten trophies at stake.
He said that to add an element of excitement and strategy, most of the teams are not only preparing for the various events but are also preparing their jama group to cheer their various teams to victory.
Mr. Ansah noted that over the years, the cheer groups have also become another side attraction, and “this year we expect supporters and cheerleaders to give us and their team something to enjoy”.
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, AOMC Chief Executive Officer, reiterated that the purpose of PETFUN was to create a social platform for OMCs and LPG marketers to build bridges and establish stronger networks with other stakeholders across the board.
Mr. Agyemang-Duah, who is also the AOMC Industry Coordinator, said the games offer all OMCs an opportunity to develop and build networks, reduce burnout, and reduce stress.
AOMC is an industry association and a private initiative by the oil marketing operators in Ghana, which is an advocacy institution established to help direct downstream policy, legislation, and regulation and pursue research towards the development of the downstream sector.
The association represents the collective interests of the companies involved in oil marketing and petroleum products in Ghana.
It also coordinates with the major stakeholders in the industry, which include the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Energy Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST).
GNA