GOMBE, Nigeria — The Gombe Athletics Academy (GAA) has announced its withdrawal from the upcoming National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, citing lack of transparency and support from state sports authorities.
Chairman of the Gombe State Athletics Association and founder of the Academy, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, said the decision to boycott the Games was in response to the unresolved issue of N39 million allegedly released by the state government for the last National Sports Festival, for which no accountability has been provided by the Ministry of Sports.
Gara-Gombe warned athletes under the Academy’s sponsorship that any attempt to participate in the Games against the directive would attract sanctions, as all athletes are under binding development agreements with the Academy.
“We fund their education, provide uniforms, books, shoes, medical insurance and other needs.
“No athlete discovered and nurtured by the Academy should represent Gombe at the NYG,” he stated.
He also criticized the state’s handling of the Academy’s initiatives, including the state officials’ boycott of the Gombe Inter-Secondary Schools Athletics Competition and the demand that he pay to use the state stadium — a payment he said was made, despite the Academy’s contributions to sports development.
Gara-Gombe recounted his personal investment during the last National Sports Festival, saying: “I built 19 new toilets, renovated 15 others, and restored electricity in classrooms used as the Games Village.
“Yet, some government officials allegedly colluded with the electricity provider, JEDC, to disconnect power, leaving over 2,500 athletes in darkness. We had to pay a bribe to restore it.”
He also revealed operational neglect by the Ministry of Sports, noting that the State Athletics Association was left without a secretary for nine months after the previous one was withdrawn without replacement.
Regarding the 2021 Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections, Gara-Gombe said the state government ignored his formal request for support.
Worse still, he alleged that the Ministry of Sports sent a proxy to impersonate him and vote on his behalf during both the Zonal and National elections — a violation of the AFN constitution.
“Yobe and Bauchi states supported their candidates, but in Gombe, my letters to the Commissioner and SSG went unanswered. Instead, someone named Kabiru was sent to vote fraudulently in my name,” he alleged.
Despite training 60 Primary and 54 Secondary School Games Masters and fielding athletes who won medals for the state at previous events, the Academy, he said, has received no recognition or gratitude from the Ministry of Sports.
