15th AFMA Championship: Yahaya- Kongoila  rallies support for Team Nigeria  after medal rush in Tunis

By Inioluwa David

Dr Safiya Yahaya- Kongoila, the Secretary -General  of Nigeria Athletics Masters,  believes  the country’s participation  at last month’s  Open Africa Masters Athletics Championship in Tunis, Tunisia, is a sign of better things to  come.

 Team Nigerian recorded a breakthrough  at the 15^th Africa Masters Athletics Championships (AFMA) held at the  imposing  Rades Stadium as the  nine-team contingent  won  an impressive  25 medals comprising of  18 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze.

  Dr Safiya Yahaya- Kongoila  attributed  the success of the team  to the cooperation  of both the rank and file of the Nigeria Athletics Masters, adding  all the nine-person  contingent to the championship  did their  very best.

“ The success of Team Nigeria at the Open Africa Masters Athletics Championship in Tunis was as a result of hard work on part of all  our competitors  coupled with the support we got from  our President Dr. Richard Ogunleye and other members,”  said  Dr. Yahaya- Kongoila  who incidentally  accounted for 2 Gold 2 Silver and 1 bronze for Team Nigeria.

Other medallists  include Christian Aiyegbeni  (4 gold and 1 silver); DSP Irene Anetor ( 3 gold); Adeyoju Adebusuyi ( 2 gold, 1 silver); Captain Ubong (Rtd) ( 2 gold);  SP Mariam Adedun (1 gold and 1 bronze) and  DSP Michael Ofili ( 1 silver).

According to Dr. Yahaya- Kongoila , the team’s achieved   results from Tunis against all odds, adding  with more support the Nigeria Athletics Masters can  do much better.

“ With just nine athletes, we took away 25 medals  from Tunis and I’m very sure  we could have even done much  better   if we had  more athletes because some of our  members could not attend  the event because of the financial logistics  and we pray we can get more support from both the government through the National  Sports Commission(NSC)  and Corporate Nigeria for future championships,” she said.

At Team Nigeria’s  medal presentation from the  Open African Masters Athletics Championship in Tunisia,the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam  Shehu Dikko, commended  the Nigeria Athletics Masters “ for delivering  an outstanding performance”  even as he and encouraged them to always intensify effort to make Nigeria great.

Responding, Dr. Yahaya- Kongoila has solicited the support of the NSC  as well as Corporate  Nigeria  towards  the successful organisation of the  Nigeria Athletics Masters’  National Championship  to be held in May .

According to her, Team Nigeria will  be using the  forthcoming National Championship  to prepare for next year’s  World’s Masters Athletics  Championship  to be hosted in Daegu , Korea.

Both  the president of Nigeria Athletics Master Dr. Richard Ogunleye  and Public Relations Officer to the M.  Peter Olajide Femi thanked  the Federal Government  through the NSC  “ for the continuous support  for sport under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”