Anambra State Government has said it may not be able to construct the earlier proposed sporting arena in all 181 communities of the state due to what it called current realities.
Governor Willie Obiano had in the 2020 budget, proposed the sum of five million naira for each community in the state, for the initiative, aimed at developing grassroots sports.
However, while speaking with TNC correspondent in Awka on Saturday, the Chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission, Tony Oli revealed that the State Government’s initial plan to construct sporting arena in every community to complement the State’s stadia has been reviewed in the light of current realities.
“With respect to community playing arena, we had the template but a few things became obstruction. Most communities didn’t have the required size of land that belongs to the whole community. The second option was to use schools. Again, most schools don’t have the space for standard field,” he explained.
In the circumstance, Oli said, the Sports Commission had chosen to start with the construction of ten sports arena in each of the three senatorial zones in order to make sports facilities more accessible to the people of the State.
Olih disclosed that phase one of the Awka Stadium which is under construction, will be completed by end of December 2020, adding that the Stadium has attained sixty percent development.
The Sports Development Commission helmsman said with the completion of the first phase in December, the stadium will immediately begin to host certain sports events.
‘Track and field facilities, football pitch, floodlights, scoreboard, and the remodelled existing pavilion are captured in this first phase,” he revealed.
Olih explained that consistent with Governor Obiano’s stickler for high standards, the quality was not being compromised in the project.
According to him, “the stadium is being handled by a FIFA approved contractor. The turf is not synthetic or total grass. It’s hybrid. It’s the same thing you have at FC Porto stadium. We’re giving Anambra a modern playing field.”
In his words, the expansion of sitting pavilion and indoor games facilities will form the focus of phase two development.
