Gombe Athletics breaks winless medal duck in National Athletics events
By Rasheed Adewuyi
As the closing bell tolls to signal the end of the 7th National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State Capital, the performance of Gombe State Athletics Academy lads will not be forgotten in a hurry as they thrilled Spectators and unexpectedly, won medals-one silver and two bronze-in the process.
Since the creation of Gombe from Bauchi State back in the 80’s, the state’s Athletes have not won a medal in any organized competition in track and field, a feat which remained unbroken until Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe raised the bar through the establishment of an Athletics Academy after a successful Gombe inter-primary school AthIetics championship on 4th August 2023.
Gombe Academy AthIetes not only attracted talent scouts, they soon earned media focus for their performance and decent appearances in months to come.
To sustain the management of the Academy, a 13 man committee was inaugurated by Hon. Gara Gombe to thinker the academy activities, headed by Prince Simon Ayuba as Director and Haruna Isah kalshingi as Registrar.
Interestingly, this is the first under-15 National Youth Games these talented AthIetes attended and was fully sponsored to it by Hon. Gara Gombe.
Gladly, the Athletes came out strongly to appreciate the opportunity given to them by winning a silver and two bronze medals.
The athletes were so excited with the level of experience they had acquired in Asaba, and assured of more in the forthcoming AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) under 13 competition in November.
Young Abdullahi Abdullahi Adamu is the first Gombe indigene make to run in the finals of an event in the history of Nigeria’s Athletics, and he made the feat by running the 200m finals.
Lamech Danladi, won Gombe athletics Academy Silver medal in the 800m event for his first medal in athletics at the Youth Games in Nigeria.
Picking interest by giving these young lads the opportunity to attend the Youth Games in Asaba was highly commendable which makes Hon Gara Gombe’s contributions to Gombe Athletics development very outstanding.
His interest in developing Athletics in Gombe is highly exemplary as Hon Gara Gombe has also set his mind not only in developing Athletics in just one local government area of his state but all of Gombe’s LGAs.
For instance, the AthIetes that won the medals-Adamu and Lamech Danladi-came from different LGAs , namely, Tula and Gombe.
This is how Hon Gara Gombe has penetrated and taken Athletics to all Gombe indigenes.
These AthIetes would need to be encouraged, they have gone to Asaba and what they experienced and how Gombe people have welcomed them would lay a solid foundation on how other youths would abandon the streets and take to Sports.
These Talents were not born with silver spoons, most of them came right the streets and through their talents, were recruited into the Academy.
