Mercy Iliya is Prudential Sports’ Best Athlete of the Year

Prudential Sports Limited, a company that focuses on sports development, talent empowerment, and athlete support, has recognised and honoured some of Nigeria’s outstanding sports administrators and some of the most promising athletes in Gombe State.

Those honoured in different categories at the Awards Ceremony which was held at the event hall of Matrix International Academy Gombe were: Mercy Iliya Namarwa-Overall Best Athlete of the Year (Gombe State Chess Association); Abdulrahman Mahmoud Baba Young Athlete of the Season (Doma United); Chindo Abubakar-Most Improved Player –(Gombe Bulls Basketball Club) and Atiku Baitu of FC Yarmalight who was recognised as Player with the Most Appearances.

Others were Bawa Buhari- Referee of the Year, Williams Attah- Sports Journalist of the Year (Daily Independence); All Stars FC Gombe-winners of Senator Haruna Garba’s Fair Play Award while the CEO of Mailantarki Academy, Hon. Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki won Alhaji Baba Manu’s Sports Administrator of the Year award.

Apart from the individual awards, Prudential Sports Limited, used the auspicious occasion to enroll over 1,000 Gombe retired athletes and their dependents in the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare (GoHealth) scheme at a cost of N10m.

The CEO of Prudential Sports and pioneer Chairman of Gombe Sports Commission, Mallam Farouk Yarma said there was also the enrollment of 100 active athletes into a contributory pension scheme with Premium Pension Limited.

In a related development, the company supported Gombe State Football Association with the sum of N2m for the registration of clubs in the State League Division 1 and 2, and donated sports equipment to 15 selected public and private schools in Gombe State, including footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, handballs, chessboards, scrambled boards, and football nets.

“We also supported Gombe State University with similar sports equipment and two sets of customized football jerseys to promote sports development in the university.

“In all, it cost over N65m to host the award and purchase those equipment to support sports development in Gombe State,” said Yarma.

Meanwhile, a former Governor of Gombe State and newly elected president of Nigeria Chess Federation, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, presented the 2025 Prudential Sports Award for Overall Best Athlete in Gombe State to little Mercy Iliya.

He also pledged to sponsor her trip to Zimbabwe to join the Nigerian national team players for the continental chess championship.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Gombe State University, Professor Sani Ahmed Yauta, commended Prudential Sports unwavering contributions to sports development and assured that the newly donated sports kits would be used to further enhance sports activities at Gombe State University (GSU).

Among the high-profile sports personalities who graced the awards ceremony was the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko who was represented by his Special Assistant on General Duties, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Muazu, HRH Emir of Gombe, Dr. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III represented by Madakin Gombe, Alhaji Umar Abubakar, former DG of the NSC, Dr. Al-Hassan Saleh Yakmut, Hon. Sani Ahmad Haruna, Chairman Gombe LGA and Chairman of ALGON in Gombe State and Nigerian Olympian and former queen of the track, Mary Onyali.

Others were veteran sports journalist and administrator, Godwin Enakhena, Toyin Ibitoye, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi Tanko, a former Head of BBC Hausa, and former Enyimba FC Sporting Director, Jude Anyadufu.

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