Athletes, coaches impressed at first Gombe Athletics Trials

The Chairman of Gombe State Amateur Athletics Association (GSAAA), Alhaji Ahmed Shauibu Gara Gombe assured the athletes that more competitions will be organised to keep them in shape

By Uzor Odigbo

Fifthy-Seven Athletes, coaches and officials who were part of Gombe State Amateur Athletics Association (GSAAA) Club and Youth Trials were excited and prayed for more competitions.

The Gombe Trials conducted by the Technical Adviser of the State Athletics Association, Prince Simon Ayuba, had over ten track and field events that include, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 5,000m, long jump, high jump and shot put, male and female.

It was a triple podium finish for Abba Aliu Ibrahim, who took the 200m, 400m titles and narrowly missed the top honour in the 100m.

Abba Aliu Ibrahim came first in the 200m ahead of the person who beat him in the 100m, Christopher Iliya in a time of 21.22 seconds while Kengs Ilisha completed the top three.

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The best male athlete of the one-day Trials, Abba Aliu Ibrahim ran and won 400m in a time of 48.23 seconds. Interestingly, the top two ran the race in under 49 seconds. Habeeb Abdulahi Lawal was second in 48.51 seconds and Danladi Lemech’s 49.00 seconds was good enough to keep him on the podium.

Another athlete who Shone like a star at the competition is Christopher Iliya who won the 100m dash and came second in the 200m race.

In the female event, Blessing Ehi Ikpa coast home in style with the 100m crown in 12.02 seconds ahead of Rebecca Taiwo Ogundele and Rotkan Gothin in that order.

Rebecca Taiwo Ogundele came back to beat Blessing Ehi Ikpa in the 200m, Hadiza Abubakar finished third.

The ‘queen of the track’ Club and Youth Trials, Rebecca Taiwo Ogundele, also ran home with the 400m diadem in a time of 55.49 seconds ahead of Hadiza Abubakar.

It was double celebration for John Benjamin in the 800m and 5,000m while Patience Goyang took the female 800m event.

The 5.56m leap of Laycon Faruk gave him the long jump title while Benjamin Bema threw 8.10m to win the shot put event.

The Chairman of Gombe State Amateur Athletics Association (GSAAA), Alhaji Ahmed Shauibu Gara Gombe assured the athletes that more competitions will be organised to keep them in shape ahead of the National Youth Games scheduled to hold in Delta State, after the general elections in February.

Gara Gombe, also stated that competitions among Secondary Schools in the State will soon be organised while coaches in the State will be retrained.

RESULTS from GSAAA CLUB AND YOUTH TRIALS:

100m Male

1. Christopher Iliya 10:40 sec
2. Abba Aliu Ibrahim 10:48 sec
3. Israel Simon 10: 57 sec

100m Female

1. Blessing Ehi Ikpa 12:02 sec
   2: Rebecca Taiwo Ogundele 12:09 sec
2. Rotkan Gothin 12:56 sec

200m MALE

1. Abba Aliu Ibrahim 21: 22 sec
2. Christopher Iliya 21:58 sec
3. Kengs Ilisha 22:34 sec

200m FEMALE
1: Rebecca Taiwo Ogundele 23:56 sec

2. Blessing Ehi Ikpa 23:59 sec
3. Hadiza Abubakar 26:56 sec

400m MALE

1. Abba Aliu Ibrahim 48:23 sec
2. Habeeb Abdulahi Lawal 48:51 sec
3. Danladi Lemech 49:00 sec

400m FEMALE

1. Rebecca Taiwo Ogundele 55:49 sec
2. Hadiza Abubakar 1:09.00 sec

800m MALE

1. John Benjamin 1:56.12 sec
2. Adulrazak Adamu 2:09.56 sec
3. Paul Emmanuel 2:54.26 sec

FEMALE 800m

1. Patience Goyang 2:17.20 sec

5000m MALE

1. John Benjamin 15:17.34 sec
2. Kalika Patrick 16:56.34 sec
3. Ado Haruna 16:58.19 sec

LONG JUMP MALE

1. Laycon Faruk 5.56m
2. Samuel Stephen 5.40m
3. Abdon Fedelix 4.95m

SHOT PUT MALE

1. Benjamin Bema 8.10m
2. Iliya Danladi 6.79m
3. Yusuf Halilu 6.78m