Andrew Iro Okungbowa 
The Diplomatic Games Week, a sport tourism event, has been recently concluded with NiDCOM, US, and French embassies teams triumphing.
The weeklong event, which featured golf, tennis, chess and soccer was first initiated as Diplomacy Stableford Golf Tournament in 2019, in Ikoyi Club 1938, Lagos, but later transformed into The Diplomatic Week Games, and made more inclusive, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The event, which was staged in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was a display of colours, sportsmanship and competitive ferment as well as entertainment by the various teams.
In the tennis game, diplomats and members of the tennis section of IBB International Golf and Country Club took to the court to battle for honour, the duo of AVM Abiola Amodu and Adamu Salisu emerging tops at the mixed doubles game while Ikani Agabi and Sani Tijani emerged runners up.
While in the chess game, which featured teams from the embassies of Argentine, Ukraine and British High Commission as well as Fraser Suites, had the British High Commission emerging as winner.
The football section featured a five-aside teams from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and Embassy of Japan, with NIDCOM team emerging the winner.
The one-week long sport tourism event climaxed with sixth edition of Diplomacy Stableford Golf Tournament.
British High Commission’s Martine Sobey carded 47 Stableford points, which made her top the ladies’ category. Both Florent and Martine went home with a flight ticket and a weekend stay at a golf resorts courtesy of Uganda Airlines and Lake Victoria Golf Resorts & Spa.
Best Diplomat Score, which is a special prize reserved for diplomats, was clinched by Brian Neubert of the United States embassy.
Speaking on the event, Ambassador Ben Okoyen, the Chief of Protocol at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and performed the ceremonial tee-off, said the platform offered prime opportunity for interaction and cooperation among the diplomatic committee.
While Sòókò Deji Ajomale-McWord, Chief Executive Officer of Diplomacy Publishing and Events, and organizer of The Diplomatic Games Week and TTRC – The Trade Relations Cup, expressed joy over the zest with which the diplomatic community welcomed the idea of a recreational convergence of the diplomatic community.
“Four days into The Diplomatic Games Week, my phone was still ringing incessantly, from calls from different embassies. The acceptance is more than encouraging and it can only grow bigger from here,” he said.
