By; ABUBAKAR RABILU, Gombe
In his zeal and passion to develop sporting activities in schools in Gombe State, the Chairman of Gombe State AthIetics Association (GAA), Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has donated school materials, comprising school bags, uniforms, sandals, exercise books to the students of Gombe State Academy he established.
Addressing academy athietes, parents, instructors and coaches in Gombe recently, Ahmed Gara extolled the huge potentials in the academy, promising to redouble efforts in making sure their education is not comprised while indulging in sports activities.
The Chairman GAA opined that the provision of school materials and beverages to the academy students is to lift the burden off their parents shoulders to enable them concentrate in education and sports.
It would be recalled that 28 athIetes, U-15 and below boys and girls in the academy were carefully selected as best performing after the maiden Gombe State Inter-Primary School and other AthIetics Championships, Gara sponsored.
Expectedly, the GAA boss admonished the parents of the talented academy students to be patient with their wards, assuring them that in future, their children would develope as State, and national and World champions in AthIetics and would earned enough money to make food and other goodies available for them.
“This was an opportunity I never had growing up. Today, I have realized, this is the only way to hunt grassroots talents in Schools, local government areas, States and the Nation.
Many examples abound in Delta, Edo, Rivers, Anambra, Imo, Kwara, Kaduna Lagos, Kogi etc where previously developed grassroots talents are now giving back to their families and States huge positive image and financial dividends”, Gara said.
Excited parents and their wards could not hold tears as Schools materials are being presented to each of them.
In their separate remarks, the parents admitted that nothing of this magnitude had happened in their lives either at the local or states levels.
They thanked the GAA boss for his philanthropic gesture and promised to support his efforts by encouraging their wards in sporting activities.
Meanwhile, the Technical Assistant to Hon. Gara Gombe and director of the academy, Simon Ayuba said, enough disciplinary code of conduct have been entrenched in the academy that would guide the training and official conduct of young athIetes in the academy.
