Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Anambra State Chapter has called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to build sporting facilities across the State to cater for the teeming sporting youths across the State.
The call was contained in their communique they issued at the end of year and recorgnition ceremony which took place in Awka.
The event with the theme, “Sports Development in Anambra State: The Infrastructure Question”, had in attendance major stakeholders in the sports sector including representatives of Sports Clubs, Football and sports Academies, administrators, Coaches, Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) and the Anambra State Commissioner for Information who doubled as Guest of Honour and Chairman of the event.
According to the communique signed by Chimezie Anaso and Uche Ndeke, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the event took an intensive and extensive look at the current of State of sports infrastructure in Anambra and resolved that Anambra State has a very large, energetic, talented and enthusiastic sporting population.
They agreed that this teeming sporting population suffers lack of access to adequate and quality sporting facilities.
Part of the communique stated ‘Participants noted with delight the massive reconstruction work going on at the Ekwulobia Township which will no doubt increase the participation rate of youths in the area in sports.
‘Participants considered State of affairs at the the Godwin Achebe Stadium Fegge, Chuba Ikpeazu Mini Stadium Onitsha, Otuocha Stadium, Aguleri and what is left of the Awka Township Stadium and concluded that Anambra cannot successfully host a State Sports Festival talkless of national games
‘Participants including the Commissioner for Information agreed that Anambra deserves an Olympic stadium which can house not less than 20 sporting events.
This entails looking for a land big enough to accommodate such a project within the Awka Capital Territory and building it from start to finish.
‘This will not only be a legacy project of your administration but a boost to tourism destination drive and economy of Anambra State more so, when there is an airport that can bring in sports administrators, players and athletes from any part of Nigeria into Anambra in less than one hour.
‘It will also make Anambra a beautiful bride once again in the committee of Nigerian sports and open up the doors of prosperity to many households’
They called on the Anambra State government to partner the management of various private stadiums in the states including Rojenny Stadium, Oba, NEROS Stadium, Nanka and the Ifeanyi Ubah Stadium, Nnewi as a step towards addressing the problem in the short and medium term.