The Berom Sports Development Association (BESDA) has successfully concluded two flagship events — the WUROM Marathon and the NGO Hannatu Chollom Memorial Cup — held over the weekend of June 27–29, 2025, as part of a broad initiative to promote grassroots sports, health awareness, and girl-child empowerment in Plateau State.
The WUROM Marathon, a 15-kilometre road race featuring runners from all 14 districts of Berom land, took place on Friday, June 27. The men’s category saw Gang James Boyi claim first place with a remarkable time of 45 minutes 45 seconds, narrowly edging out Iliya Raymond Gyang, who came second at 45 minutes 59 seconds, and Gyang Sunday Davwi, who finished third in 47 minutes 35 seconds.
In the women’s category, Patience Dalyop blazed to victory with a time of 49 minutes 50 seconds, followed by Bulus Mary Jah at 51 minutes 51 seconds, and Teyei Davou Mwanti in third with 53 minutes 48 seconds.
To reward excellence, BESDA awarded ₦300,000, ₦200,000, and ₦100,000 to the first, second, and third place finishers respectively in both categories. Runners who placed between 4th and 14th received ₦15,000 each, with all participants honored with certificates of participation.
On June 28 and 29, the focus shifted to Jos City Park for the NGO Hannatu Chollom Memorial Cup, a football exhibition tournament designed to inspire and empower Berom girls while raising awareness about cervical cancer. The competition featured eight teams named after iconic Berom women, including NGO Hudung Princewell FC, NGO Rekiya Buba FC, and others.
In a thrilling final, NGO Talatu Jang FC defeated NGO Sarah Dokotori FC with a solid 2-0 victory. Joy Bitrus and Naomi Dagwom were the heroes of the match, each scoring a goal to seal the win.
Speaking after the events, BESDA President Geoffrey Bottson hailed the success of both competitions and reiterated the association’s mission. “We are a sports development association focused on grassroots impact,” he said. “These events are not just about competition — they are platforms for health advocacy, youth empowerment, and identifying talents for greater opportunities.”
Bottson also revealed that exceptional marathoners would be recommended to state coaches and considered for sponsorship to participate in national and private competitions. “Eventually, we aim to scale the WUROM Marathon into a Jos City Marathon that includes participants from other tribes and offers even greater incentives,” he added.
BESDA continues to call on stakeholders across government, private sector, and the community to support its vision of using sports as a tool for social change and youth development in Plateau State.
