Athletics: Tributes for late coach Momoh
Tributes have been pouring in from top athletes, officials and stakeholders following the death of former national athletics coach, Harrison Momoh, who passed away last Saturday, in Ilorin, Kwara State, The NewsNGR reports.
Athletics Federation of Nigeria President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, has led the athletics fraternity in mourning the 83-year-old coach who retired from coaching 15 years ago.
“I was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the passing of Harrison Momoh,” Okowa said.
“To the athletics fraternity, Harrison Momoh who helped raise top athletes in the past is not just a coach but a true friend and a very patriotic Nigerian. Through his knowledge, Momoh set the pace for the development of Nigerian athletics by giving his time and resources to the sport we all love.”
Former African Games 100m hurdles champion, Taiwo Aladefa, broke the news on Saturday in a WhatsApp message on an athletics group chat.
“Just to let you know my coach, Coach Harrison Momoh, passed on to Glory a few minutes ago! May his gentle, sweet, and selfless spirit rest in peace!” she wrote.
Kehinde Aladefa, in her tribute, described the late coach’s dedication to the sport writing, “His selflessness was unmatched. His work ethic was tireless. His confidence, unwavering.
“He left an impression on everyone he encountered, and his name is etched in the history of Nigerian track and field. Coaches across the world respected his mind, admired his insight, and sought his wisdom. His impact transcended borders, generations, and disciplines.
“Coach Momoh was more than a mentor, he was a father figure, a beacon of hope, and a man who gave his all to the sport and the people he loved. To say we will miss him is an understatement; we will carry his lessons, his spirit, and his legacy in every race we run, in every competition we face, and in every life we touch, just as he touched ours,” she stated.
Momoh discovered and groomed numerous Nigerian elite athletes during the golden era of Nigerian track and field, and at various times coached the Nigerian team at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and African Games.
Some of the Olympians he nurtured include the late Sunday Bada, Olapade Adenekan, Olu Sule, Taiwo and Kehinde Aladefa, Omotayo and Omolade Akinremi, Bisi Afolabi, Airat Bakare, Angela Atede, and Saidat Onauga, among others.
Among those who visited the family shortly after the news of his death were former captain of the Nigeria Olympic team in the eighties and renowned sports analyst Hammed Adio, current Executive Chairman of Kwara State Sports Commission Bola Adisa, and former Director of Sports and current Technical Director Badminton Federation of Nigeria Mallam Tunde Kazeem.
The Vice Chairman of Kwara State Athletics Association Kayode Afolabi, and other members of the track and field Family also paid their respects to the family of the late coach.
“We shall always remember Harrison Momoh as a humble, patriotic, wise and passionate athletics enthusiast and a coach who dedicated his life to raising the standards of athletics in Nigeria and sports in general,” Okowa added.
“May God Almighty touch and sustain the bereaved family during this period of grief and may the soul of Harrison Momoh rest in eternal peace.”
The highly disciplined trainer, who hailed from Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, is survived by his wife and two daughters.
