Volleyball : General TA Gagariga Round Robin Vollyball Talent Hunt Tournament Ends in Bauchi State

The "Gagariga Champions" vollyball talent hunt programme, primarily driven by Major General TA Gagariga, received a huge boost following the participation of three states of Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau which ends on Thursday in Bauchi State.

The sponsored of a three-day volleyball round robin match talent hunt tournament, Major General TA Gagariga explained the essence of staging this talent hunt exercise. According to Gagariga, we are starting with three states for now and the target is to discover players with talent.

Speaking at the closing ceremony at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium volleyball court venue of the event, General TA Gagariga said, the project is part of an aggressive and ambitious youth volleyball talent hunt in the North Eastern part of the country.

He said his vision is to utilise volleyball competitions among the youths in the North Eastern States as hunting grounds to discover hidden volleyball talents thereby arresting the depleting ranks of volleyballers in the country . According to the General, “The talent hunt is targeted at bringing back the lost glory of national grassroots volleyball sports development using Bauchi State as a case study and launch pad.”

He explained further that the programme is also designed to cover the remaining North Eastern states of Adamawa, Taraba, Borno and Yobe. He disclosed that he is fully convinced that an urgent resuscitation of vollyball competitions in the country would indirectly tackle some of the current socio-economic challenges such as youth restiveness in the country.

According to General Gagariga all the three states that participated in the three-day round robin tournament are all winners. He further promised to organize volleyball competition for people with disabilities in Bauchi State within two months.

Speaking to one of the sports enthusiast, Mr Garba Shata Inuwa at the venue of the final, Mr. Shata said, Major General TA Gagariga spent his wealth like manure to promote volleyball in the country. He has undiluted passion for the sports. I have great respect for him. He is an extra- ordinary enthusiast when it comes to volleyball sports. He is loved and appreciated by all which I believe helped him to the position he is presently occupying in the Nigerian Army.

Mr Shata hip praises on General Gagariga,.."that he is the biggest thing to have happened to Nigerian volleyball history especially in the north east. "He is not tribalistic or partial towards any ethnic groups, he hail from the Niger Delta but see what he is doing here in the Northern part of the country. Shata added.

Mr Garba Shata further described Major General TA Gagariga as an unselfish human who didn’t just live for sports but for humanity.

“If you limit Major General TA Gagariga’s impact to just volleyball, you are doing great injustice to him and what he lives for. General TA Gagariga didn’t live for vollyball, he lives for sports, he lives for humanity, we must not forget this". Shata ended.

The two Gagariga Generals of Taritimiye and Tariweriye and other state and local government officials and volleyball enthusiasts witnessed the volleyball artistry displayed by the young lads of Gombe and Bauchi states at the finals.

Cash gifts and awards were later presented to the three teams (both male and female) that took part in the competition. Others who also benefited for the cash gifts includes ; coaches, officials and players who were adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the round-robin volleyball talent hunt tournaments.