Riyadh overseas workers repeat as champs in Friendship Games

Overseas workers from Riyadh ran away from the rest of the competition as they repeated as overall champions in the recently concluded PSC-OWWA OFW Friendship Games: Pamaskong Palaro 2002.

Riyadh collected 33 gold, 12 silver and 15 bronze medals while Taipei and Kaoshiung, which won four and three gold medals, respectively, settled for second and third place in the three-day event.

Nearly 270 overseas workers representing 12 overseas job sites and regional offices from all over the world competed in the Games, which included five sports namely chess, bowling, darts, table tennis and lawn tennis.

PAGCOR, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Metrobank, Duty Free Philippines, Landbank, Unilever, Philam Life, Smart, Adidas and Wyeth Philippines sponsored the event.

The PSC through the Office of commissioner Michael Barredo, which handles sectoral concerns in coordination with OWWA’s Overseas Operations Coordinating Center under director Marianito Roque were the prime movers in this project which aimed to provide an alternative activity while promoting physical fitness and participation in sports to OFWs during the holiday season.

The event is an offshoot of the Philippine Friendship Games, which were held on a regional basis in the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Delmer Cruz, deputy administrator of OWWA, assisted Commissioner Barredo and Director Cruz in handing out the medals and giveaways to the winners.