Stakeholders in the education and sports sectors, including school principals, games masters, teachers, and their counterparts, have applauded sports entrepreneur and philanthropist Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe for successfully hosting the Gombe State Inter Secondary School Athletics Championships and Principal’s Cup football games in Gombe, the first of its kind in the North-East region of Nigeria.
The chairman of the secondary school principals’ union in Gombe and principal of the Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Abubakar Sadiq Suleiman, led the commendations, stating that Gombe schools have enjoyed a week-long successful sporting fiesta. He urged the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) to engage with the programme.
Over 3,000 students from 73 secondary schools across the 11 local government areas of Gombe State participated in the week-long event, which served as a revelation ground for future stars.
Suleiman, who was also a member of the organising committee, noted that the joy the competition brought to the enthusiastic youth of Gombe would linger for a long time.
He expressed hope that the involvement of the National Sports Commission, which is responsible for promoting grassroots sports at all levels, alongside the AFN, will ensure adequate attention is given to the event and that raw talents can be developed in the region.
He expressed gratitude to Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe for wisely engaging the youth of Gombe State and distracting them from vices on the streets in pursuit of lifelong careers in sports.
In his commendation, basketball legend and retired permanent secretary Abdulkadri Kawo remarked that Gara Gombe has transformed the narrative of sports in Gombe by sponsoring a competition that brought about 3,525 youths off the streets in pursuit of careers in sports.
“This used to happen in the past, but today, this man has given the sports sector a new meaning, which all sports-loving stakeholders should support,” Kawo said.
He appealed to all genuine sports stakeholders to rally around Gara Gombe to prevent Gombe State from placing last in most of the National Sports Festivals held in the past.
According to Kawo, this is the time to rekindle the spirit of sports in Gombe to reach its potential by following Hon. Gara Gombe’s example.
The commendations continued from the Nigerian Union of Teachers, the National Association of Technical Officials (NAATO), the Association of Secondary Schools Games Masters, and the Students’ Union of Secondary Schools in the State.
The week-long athletics and football competitions concluded on Saturday at the Gombe Stadium Pantami, with 24 out of the 73 participating schools making it onto the medals table, thereby providing room for improvement for the next edition.
