By Uzor Odigbo
As the closing bell tolls to signal the end of the 7th National Youth Games in Asaba, the 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 three medals, one silver.and two bronze.
History has shown that since the creation of Gombe from Bauchi State back in the 80’s, the state Athletes have never won a medal in any organised competition in track&field, a record 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 Athletes not only attract talent scouts, they made the media focus on them for their performance and decent appearance.
To sustain the management of the Academy, a 13 man committee was inaugurated by Hon. Gara 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 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 indigenous AthIete to run finals in the history of Athletics to run the 200m finals.
Lamech Danladi, won Gombe athletics Academy Silver medal in 800m, 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 Ahmed Shuaibu Gara there heroe.
His interest in developing Athletics in Gombe is considered to be highly examplary. Gara Gombe has also set his mind not only in one local government area but all Gombe LGAs.
For instance, AthIetes that won medals, Adamu and Lamech Danladi came from different LGA , Tula and Gombe. This is how Hon Ahmed 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 saw and how Gombe people welcomed them would lay a solid foundation on how other youth would abandon the streets and take to Sports.
These Talents were not born with silver spoons, most of them come the streets and through their talents, went straight to the Academy.