The Chairperson of Billiri Local Government Area, Eglah Idris, has rewarded chess prodigy Mercy Iliya Namarwa with a N500,000 cash prize following her stellar outing at the recently concluded FIDE World Amateur Championships in Abuja.
Namarwa clinched two bronze medals in the tournament’s Blitz and Rapid U2000 Women categories.
Presenting the reward to Namarwa on Monday, Idris described the athlete’s achievement as a massive source of pride for the local government, Gombe State, and the nation at large.
‘We are proud of Mercy and what she has achieved,’ Idris stated. ‘This reward is our way of appreciating her hard work, dedication, and determination. We want her to know that her community is proud of her and will continue to support her.’
The chairperson emphasized that Namarwa’s success highlights the vast potential of local youths when provided with the right encouragement.
She urged other young people in Billiri to use Namarwa’s victory as inspiration to discover and hone their own talents.
‘We will continue to encourage and support talented youths in Billiri because we believe they have the potential to achieve great things and contribute meaningfully to the development of our society,’ Idris added.
She concluded by noting that the financial reward was designed not just to celebrate Namarwa’s current medals, but to motivate her toward even greater milestones in future competitions.