By: Rabilu Abubakar
The Chairman of the Gombe State Athletics Association, Alhaji Adamu Bello “Dan Amar Pantami,” has launched a 5km mini-marathon in Gombe as part of efforts to identify and groom young long-distance runners for national and international competitions.
The maiden race which was held in Pantami, attracted dozens of athletes and sports enthusiasts, marking what organisers described as the beginning of a sustained grassroots athletics development programme in the state.
Addressing journalists after the event, “Dan Amar Pantami” said the initiative was inspired by his desire to give back to society after over a decade in competitive athletics.
"I have been in athletics for more than 10 years. During my career, I received support from others. I felt it was time to return home and contribute to the development of young talents in my community,” he said.
He noted that as a former long-distance runner, his focus is to revive that aspect of the sport in Gombe and position athletes from the state to compete favourably at higher levels.
“All my events were long distance. Some of my former colleagues who represented Nigeria are here today. We trained together in national camps and competed for the country.
“I want to use this platform to discover athletes who can also represent Nigeria in marathons and other long-distance races,” he said.
The chairman expressed satisfaction with the turnout and organisation of the maiden edition, while assuring that subsequent editions would be better organised.
"This is just the first edition. Where there are shortcomings, we will make adjustments. The next edition will be bigger and better,” he added.
He also said that his membership of various committees of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), would help create opportunities for Gombe athletes to gain national exposure and possibly feature in major competitions such as the Commonwealth Games.
In his remarks, the Education Secretary of Gombe Local Government Area, Malam Babuga, commended the organiser for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention to boost youth participation in sports.
