Gombe Begins New Athletics Academy

Gombe State Athletics Association’s (GAA) dream of developing world champions in athletics got a big boost at the weekend when the body inaugurated its new academy with 25 pioneering students.
The Athletics Academy is expected to train the 25 students in different track and field events and monitor their development until they become elite stars.
Speaking during the inaugural ceremony, GAA Chairman, Ahmed Shaibu Gara Gombe, said the academy was established to groom and expose talents discovered at the grassroots to compete in national and international athletics competitions.
Gara, who presented two pairs of kits, two pairs of school uniforms, two cartons of indomie noodles and half crate of eggs, as well as powdered milk, among other provisions, to the pioneer students, pleaded with parents to allow their children to embrace sports and attend trainings, saying it is the only way they can hone their talents for scholarships and alternative income.