ThankGod Ebube ran 10:15secs and 6:53secs to win the 100m and races respectively, as Comfort Sule ran 11:8secs and 7:34secs to win the women short sprints at the Kaduna ACAN/MA Athletics Meet at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.
Ebube won the men 100m race ahead of Alphonsus Akwaga (10:32secs) and Monday Ebuka (10:45secs), while Godswill Abu (6:59secs) and Odeka Gerald trailed him in the 60m dash. Taiwo Ogundele (12:00secs) and Onyebuchi Joy (12:4secs) won silver and bronze respectively in the blue ribald 100m race, as Taiwo Ogundele (7:49secs) was second and Rotkong Ishaya (7:61secs) placed third in the 60m dash. The 4X400m mixed relay was won by Dynamics Athletics Club in 3:35:89mins, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria was second in 3:42:48mins, as Coach George Athletics Club Zaria won bronze in 3:48:64mins.
The 4X100m invitation relay boys went to Government Day Secondary School Sabon Tasha in 50:89secs, Government Day Secondary School Kakuri won silver in 55:00secs and Musa’ab School placed third in 1:01min. Government Day Secondary School Sabon Tasha won the girls invitational relay in 60:00secs, Government Girls Secondary School Independence Way was second in 1:08min, while Musa’ab School placed third.
Alphonsus Akwaga won the 400m men in 48:50secs, Hamza Dalhatu was second in 49:70secs, as Odeka Gerald won bronze in 50:30secs. The women quartermile title went to Joy Onyebuchi 59:63secs, Scholastic Obi won silver in 1:00:34secs, as Mercy Audu won bronze in 1:01:31secs. Isah Abdullahi won the 1,500m followed by Faruk Kasim, while Oriaku Joshua was third. Mercy Audu won the women 1,500m, Felicia Adebayo was second and Scholastic Obi came third.
Chairman, Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria (ACAN) Kaduna branch, Engr. Michael Monyei while addressing the event, thanked all the sponsors, others who supported the competition; those who helped create ACAN in the state and those supporting the association, noting that the competition which was in synergy with MA Athletics was aimed at finding talents and helping those found to grow into elite athletes.
“From 2010 we have not had any athlete at elite level that has made outstanding performance in the state but from 2020 we have had six seminars and we are seeing the dividends on our athletes,” he said.
Representative of MA Athletics and Secretary of ACAN Kaduna state, Coach Dele Abubakar, said the synergy between ACAN and MA Athletics, that gave birth to the competition, aimed at helping athletes grow to achieve their aims.
“We are trying to get new talents to represent the state through the junior secondary schools relays and to prepare athletes for next year’s All African Games, Olympics and National Sports Festival. The performances were good and the synergy has already improved the MA Athletics Meet which used to be only relay races but now includes the sprints and long distance races,” he said
