By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The maiden edition of the Secondary Schools Sports tournament organised by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has ended in Bauchi with new, young and upcoming athletes discovered in all categories.
The tournament has Secondary Schools students from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states that make up the No subregion competing in Athletics, Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, basketball and Football.
In the Lawn Tennis Boys Results, Divine Denis from Adamawa state won Gold, Adamu Abba from Taraba state won Silver while Bronze: went to John Stephen from Bauchi state and for Girls Singles Results, Gold went to Charity Christopher (Taraba), Silver for Joyce Nanklin (Bauchi) and Bronze for Salomi Adams (Gombe).
In the Table Tennis Boys, Gold was win by Yahaya Adamu (Yobe), Silver for Hamza Abari (Gombe) and Bronze for Emmanuel Jidah (Taraba) while table Tennis Girls has Gold going to Rakayya Abdullah (GDSS Nguru, Yobe), Silver, Priscilla Solomon (MDSS Jalingo, Taraba) and Bronze to Bola Lukman (GGC Bauchi, Bauchi)
For Basketball Boys, Bauchi State clinched the Gold medal, Silver to Gombe and Bronze for Adamawa while in the Basketball Girls, Gold went to Taraba, Silver to Bauchi and Bronze to Adamawa state.
The General Results for Athletics indicated that Taraba State won 6 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze totaling 8 Medals,
Adamawa 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze totalling 8 Medals, Gombe:, 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze totalling 6 Medals,
Bauchi, 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze totalling 2 Medals, Yobe, 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze totalling 3 Medals and Borno 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze 0 Medals.
Meanwhile, Bauchi State Male Football team on Friday emerged winner of the football competition of the maiden Secondary Schools tournament by defeating the Gombe State team by 2 goals to 1.
The final match which was watched by a scanty crowd inside the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Stadium (ATBS) was final event of the 5 days sports meet organised by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) aimed at reviving schools sports.
The first half of the match had ended goalless but on resumption, Bauchi team drew the first blood scoring the opener, few minutes later, it capitalized on error by the goalkeeper and the defenders to score the second goal.
The Gombe team thereafter piled up pressure on the Bauchi defence causing a foul which resulted in a penalty which was neatly converted by the Gombe boys to reduce the tally.
Efforts by the two teams to increase the goal tally were thwarted by the two defence lineup dragging the match to end 2 goals to 1 in favour of the Bauchi State team.
The Six States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe had participated in the football event of the tournament which was on knockout basis.
At the end of the match, medals and a giant trophy were presented to the winners and the losers as the Third Position was won by Adamawa state.
While declaring the competition closed at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Stadium, Bauchi, closed, the MD/CEO, NEDC, Mohammed Goni Alkali commemded the athletes for displaying their various raw skills.
He assured that all the raw talents discovered will be groomed and made to become national champions and thereafter international athletes.
The MD/CEO who was represented at the competition assured that it will be an annual Meet aimed at discovering talents, and most importantly, foster unity among the youths in line with the rebuilding process of the North-East subregion after the devastating impact of the insurgency.
