Indeed sports has found it place in the heart of Gombe where every sports lover can testify to the rapid development of Gombe Bulls whose whereabouts was unknown after 2000.
I recalled vividly in 2013 when Malam Farouk Yarma the then Chairman Gombe State Sport Commission post on Facebook asking people to suggest a name for the Gombe state basketball team which had qualified for the DSTV Premier League that year. He gave an options as to which name was to be given and Gombe Bulls was retained.
Since their qualification to play in the national division two and one and the DSTV Basketball Premier League in 2013, Gombe Bulls has gone from strength to strength and finding their way into the very heart of the country’s basketball and regarded as one of the best teams in the country.
Behind the success of Gombe Bulls, the government and some individuals have worked hard to bring the team to its present status.
The State Government under the administration of Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo sees it worthy to sponsor the Bulls from the scratch to their present position.
Gombe Bulls to some of us is a new basketball team, but the truth be told, history has it that it existed before the creation of Gombe State. By then, Bulls was just a team with group of players that were sponsored by some individuals from the part of the government, players and technical crew of the team to its fans, there was total commitment, dedication and sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
History also has it that funds raised from gate fees in some domestic football matches played here in Gombe were used to fund the team’s matches when it first qualified for a major tournament.
Gombe Bulls while under Bauchi State, only plays domestic matches so as to keep the team alive because there was a state owned basketball team which is Bauchi Nets sponsored by the State Government.
Their first breakthrough came in 1991 when they roared and qualified for division one which is the top basketball league in the country as of then.
However, with the existence of a state owned basketball team Bauchi Nets, Gombe Bulls relinquished their qualification to Bauchi Nets because there were no funds to sponsor the team.
Bulls were replaced by the Nets in the division one but when the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) upgraded division one into Nigerian Basket Ball Premier League, most of the players in Gombe Bulls joined Bauchi Nets so as to help the team grow.
With the creation of Gombe State by the then General Sani Abacha’s Administration, Gombe Bulls continued to strive, in 1996/1997 they played the division one and qualified for the Premier League. Their qualification did not come on a platter of gold but was through the sacrifices of some sports loving individuals in the state who sacrificed their time, energy and resources to ensure the success of the team. Mr. Ado K Lawure was their coach as of then. These sacrifices were not in vain as the team qualified for the Premier League.
Lack of sponsorship and funds was the team’s major challenges as the government was yet to takeover sponsorship. With the NBBF’s directives that no any Premier League team would play on an open court during premier league matches and Gombe Bulls were not having an indoor sports hall, the team had to play its home matches at the Bauchi Indoor Sports Hall which was a big challenge for them. The transportations to their away matches and home matches were a big problem for them due to lack of funds.
With these financial constraints, Gombe Bulls disappeared in 2000 were they were not found in both division one and the Premier League.
As it will be good news for Gombe Bulls, the National Sports Commission of then built the present indoor sports hall in 2003/2004 which includes the basketball courts needed by Bulls.
When this present administration came on board in December 2011, in its effort to continue uniting the people through sporting activities, the administration upgraded the State Sports Council to Gombe State Sports Commission which also enhanced the activities of the council and makes more advance in terms of promoting sporting activities in the state.
Bulls were resurrected in 2012 by the States Sports Commission under the Chairmanship of Malam Farouk Yarma who joined hands with sports loving individuals in the state so as to bring back the lost glory of this team.
That same year, the team was not directly sponsored by the government but other charges in the sports commission and the contribution of some individuals. Their personal funds were used to sponsor the team in its quest to gain promotion into the DSTV Basketball Premier League.
Bulls played division two in 2012/2013 in Abuja and qualified for division one. They also played division one in 2013/2014 which Gombe state hosted and bulldozed their way into the DSTV Basketball Premier League.
The hustle and tussle by Bulls since division two and one to their qualification to the DSTV Basketball Premier League was not directly sponsored by the government but some funds in the state’s commission were used as well as other individuals wagon were the leading donors in sponsoring the team.
Bulls’ outing in the elite basketball league in the country was a huge success in terms of sports development in the state. Bulls who played alongside its northern counter parts like Kano Pillars, Mark Mentors, Plateau Peaks etc., recorded a huge success in its first outing, they came third out of seven teams that played the league in the Savannah Conference which qualified them for the final eight in Lagos where the top four teams from this conference battled it out with their opponents from the other region.
Bulls also recorded a successful outing in Lagos in the final eight as they came fourth after the tournament.
In 2015, the government decided to take over the affairs of Gombe Bulls fully; the management staff, technical crew, advisory council and the players was enrolled into the state government’s payroll.
To date, the government of the state is responsible for the salaries of each and every staff and players of the team’s salary.
For Gombe Bulls, the 2014/2015 DSTV Basketball Premier League season was a double success because they capped their success with a continental ticket.
Gombe Bulls recorded a 90% home wins and a 70% away victories. They lost only three away matches and one home match against Kano Pillars.
They played 14 matches, won nine and lost four which were against Pillars, Mark Mentors and Plateau Stars. These results helped Bulls finished third in the Savannah Conference and qualified them for the top six which was played at Kano State. Bulls played five matches in Kano and won four of those matches. Their perfect outing has earned them the second position in the top six and qualified them for the final eight in Lagos.
In the final eight, Bulls recorded another milestone were they played six matches, won four and lost only two against Pillars and Mark Mentors which helped them finished third in the competition and ranked them third among the basketball teams in the country below Kano Pillars and Mark Mentors.
They won a bronze medal and secured a place in the upcoming continental competition.
Some of Gombe Bulls’ players were invited into the Nigerian basketball team D’tigers who participated in the 2015 Afro-Basketball competition in Egypt which D’tigers won.
Our own technical adviser in person of Abdulrahaman Mohammed was promoted to the position of the assistant coach of the D’tigers.
With the above long and rough journey by Gombe Bulls, we have all the picture in our head now that sacrifice must be made in order to archive something in life not only our personal lives but also in our various institutions.
Cooperation, unity, dedication, sacrifice, love and passion must take the center stage if any progress is to be made in various sports sectors in the State. Our predecessors were united and committed to the course so as to help us enjoy the success Bulls are enjoying now. We must also make sacrifice so as to ensure successful continuity in the team because those coming up will also want to see the team progressing.
The government has been playing its role in ensuring sports promotion and working harder to ensure this continuity, those put in charge of coordinating and managing the affairs of the sports sectors should ensure that everything they do is purely meant for the progress of the state’s sports sector. Private organizations also have roles to play, they can invest in various sports in the state as that will reduce the financial burden on the state government and give room for competition in various sports sectors.
Sports lovers and fans will do our teams well if they can always support these teams when the need arise because fans forms part of every team’s performance.
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