Excel at Junior National Championship, win university scholarship awards
By Rasheed Adewuyi
No fewer than Seven Gombe State athletes that participated at the just concluded National U-18 and U-20 junior Championship in Kaduna improved in their previous ratings.
One of the junior Athletes Ibrahim Abba Aliyu, returned a time of 21:90 in the 200m boys final B to win the race.
According to the Gombe Athletics Association (GAA) media officer, Inua Mohammed, Abba Aliyu outshone peers to clock a personal best record.
His colleagues and coaches rejoiced with him for winning for the first time at such a high profile and challenging National Championship.
Enock Dabo, placed 4th in the 200m finals with a seasons best, just as Taiwo Rebecca Ogundele placed 5th with a place in the national girls U-18 relay team, even as Blessing Ehi Ikpa competed in the 200m finals with an improvement in her previous personal best.
The Athletes however poured encomiums on the Chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe for his tenacity in making Athletes attend the National U-18 Junior Championship in Kaduna.
Abba Aliyu says, “Gombe State is usually absent at past competitions, we don’t usually attend, that’s why we are backward and poorly rated at the national level.”
“With this performance, I’m proud to compete for Gombe State and other States have seen we are a force that is coming up. If we can get more exposure, more competitions, some of us will excel more than our performance in Kaduna.
“It’s a junior Championship, we have our eyes at the senior level, with good exposure, my colleagues and I will build enough confidence to compete anywhere in the world, please help us thank our Chairman Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu
“The competition gave Gombe State athletes, coaches and officials the opportunity to mix, interact and share ideas with the aim of gaining more experience from colleagues that are more exposed, it was a good Championship for all of us from Gombe State.”
Earlier, owing to work in progress, GAA Chairman, the creator of the Child Athletes Development (from Local government to international level) in Gombe Sate, said the State may attend the Kaduna Championships as Observers, but perhaps changed his mind and today, the exposure had paid off.
It’s also gratifying that two of the female Athletes have gained automatic admission into the Army University in Biu. They are the pair of Blessing Ehi Ikpa and Taiwo Rebecca Ogundele.
Gombe State was rated well at The National U-18 and 20 junior Championship owing to the performance of a few Athletes elated Gombe State Officials said with their average performance in Kaduna, more accomplishments would be attained at future meet.
