Chairman, Gombe State AthIetics Association (GAA), Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has described the demise of Dr. Awoture Eleyae (OON) as huge loss to sports globally and promised to setup athIetics competition in his memory.
Dr. Eleyae’s death was announced Friday morning in Benin City, Edo State.
Gara who was former Gombe United Football Club Chairman said the vacuum created by Eleyae’s demise will take millions of years to fill.
To this end, he said, for being so dutiful to sports development all his life, he would set up an Athletics Competition in his memory.
“Chief Eleyae did so much for sports in Nigeria, Africa and the world as He laid a sustainable foundation for sports in Nigeria and by extension in the continent as well. He was an inspiration to many men and women including administrators in sports and became a father to so many of us. I will surely miss him,” Gara said.
Eleyae was a native of Uzere, Isoko-South Council of Delta State. He headed the SCSA from 1992 to 2004.
He was a member of many international professional bodies. While serving as a National Chief Track and Field Athletics coach, the late Eleyae captained the Nigerian basketball team to the first All Africa Games in 1965.
He designed the Nigerian Institute for Sports (NIS), and became the first principal of the Institute from 1975 to 1984. He rose to the substantive post of deputy director of sports, National Sports Commission, and acted as director general of National Sports Commission of Nigeria from February 1981 to May, 1982.
In this capacity, he attended all the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and all the All Africa Games until 1976.
