Bayelsa's Hope Aruya also retains women's title as champions call for urgent support and grassroots participation
Oyo State's Japo Toma soared into the history books on Wednesday, winning the men's pole vault title for the fourth consecutive time at the 22nd National Sports Festival (Gateway Games 2024) in Abeokuta.
The final pole vault event, held at the M.K.O. Abiola Sports Complex, was the last competition of the penultimate day of the festival--and it didn't disappoint.
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Japo, the Delta-born athlete who now represents Oyo, thrilled fans for over two hours, eventually clinching gold with a height of 3.85 metres.
Plateau State's Sunday Jackden secured silver with a 3.70m leap, while Rivers State's Emeka Jeffrey took bronze at 3.50m.
Although victorious, Japo expressed frustration over the lack of essential training equipment, revealing that he could not attempt heights beyond 4m due to outdated gear.
"I want the government to support me and other athletes with equipment so we can keep training," Japo said after his win.
"Like me, I need a 5m pole. The current one I have is almost gone and can't take me beyond the current winning height."
Japo's winning mark on Wednesday was below his personal best of over 4m, a record he set at the 2018 edition in Abuja.
He made three valiant but unsuccessful attempts to go over 4m again after securing the gold medal.
Women's category: Hope Aruya stays on top
In the women's pole vault, held on Tuesday at the same venue, Bayelsa's Hope Aruya extended her reign in the discipline, capturing gold once again with a winning height of 2.95m.
She finished ahead of Delta's Chioma Okafor, who cleared 2.75m to take silver. Aruya's consistent dominance has made her one of the standout athletes in the discipline, but she also voiced concern over the sport's lack of visibility and participation, especially among women.
"We are very few in pole vault," Aruya said.
Despite their successes, both champions echoed a unified call to the federal and state governments and private sector sponsors to invest in training infrastructure, modern equipment, and grassroots development to nurture new talent and sustain Nigeria's presence in technical field events like pole vault.
As the curtain closes on the 22nd National Sports Festival, Japo and Aruya's gold-medal performances serve as a reminder that with better support, Nigeria's athletes can leap even higher--on local and global stages.
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