70-year-old former football coach graduates UniJos with first-class honours
Story from Vivian DANIEL, Abuja
A remarkable achievement has been recorded at the University of Jos as 70-year-old Ben Duamlong graduated with a first-class degree.
Despite retiring as a football coach, Duamlong pursued his passion for education by enrolling in a degree program. His remarkable accomplishment was celebrated alongside the graduation of 20,532 students in 2023.
Duamlong, who specialized in painting, was among the prestigious group of 112 students who achieved first-class honours.
While obtaining a first-class degree is usually considered a challenging feat, the 70-year-old believes it should not be seen as an extraordinary accomplishment.
In an interview with journalists, Duamlong explained his motivation for returning to school, despite already having children.
He shared, “I decided to go back to the university at this age because of my passion for art. Throughout my life, I have always been able to draw, but painting has eluded me. I have a deep interest in painting, and after retiring in 2014 from my career as a football coach, I found myself at home with nothing to do. That’s when I made the decision to return to school.”
Gwandai Duamlong, the son of Ben Duamlong and a 100-level student at the university, expressed his happiness and pride in his father’s remarkable achievement.
Prior to his academic pursuits, Duamlong had an illustrious career as the former coach of the Nigerian under-20 football team and also served as an assistant coach for the Super Eagles during the Korea/Japan 2022 World Cup.
