Nasarawa to construct New Stadium, upgrade Others — Gov. Sule

Gov. Abdullahi Sule, of Nasarawa has expressed his administration’s plan to revamp sports and develop youths in the state and also construct new stadium.

Gov. Sule made the pledge at the ongoing 2019 5th National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara, where he was represented by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Youth Development, Sports and NGOs’ Matters, Yakubu Kwanta.

The Public Relation Officer, Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Eche Amos, said in a statement in Lagos
that Sule was highly committed to Smile outh and sports development in the state.

“Sports is a unifying factor and a terminator of youth vices in the society. And His Excellency is poised to revamp sports and sporting activities in the state.

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“This is why he inaugurated an 11-man Sports Reform Committee recently to change the narrative across the nooks and crannies of the state.

“Gov. Sule’s administration is less than four months old, and during the first Centenary Day Celebration, the governor achieved tremendous breakthroughs in all facets of the state.

“One of which was the triumph of Nasarawa Amazons FC at the final of the 2019 Women’s Aiteo Cup in Kaduna, he began, he said.

Kwanta further revealed that Sule had set up a working machinery to totally overhaul sports in the state.

“The sports overhaul will require organising Wards, Local Governments and Statewide programmes involving various sports with seasoned sports technocrats were readily available to discover raw talents and nurture
them.

“On sports facilities facelift, the governor is working tirelessly to rehabilitate old facilities, and construct new ones across the 13 council areas of the state for general involvement.

“There is with a premium being accorded to the construction of one new stadium in each of the two zones which have yet to have such sports facilities, Akwanga and Keffi.

“Currently, we are updating our facilities to meet global standards and where there is need for new ones to be constructed, we are equally working towards such,” he said.

He added: “The Government has equally opened discussion with a firm based abroad to remodel the Sports Academy located in Akwanga.

“This is also to see how to use it as one of the budding grounds for grassroots talents discovery for the state and country at large.

“Once all these are set, we will then explore avenues to host the National Youth Games in the nearest future.”

On the Team Nasarawa’s performance at the 2019 National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara, the SSA said the successes recorded during the NYG would be a stepping stone to the overhaul of the sports ministry.

“As for the Youth Games here in Ilorin, as a young administration, we wanted to use this as a stepping stone to the level of totally
overhauling the sports sub-sector.

“This is with a pursuit to place the state in the height of other successful sports states in the country.

“In spite having limited time to prepare for this Youth Games, over 10 of our athletes were found to possess great sporting potential by the organisers of the Games.

“The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and have assured of taking it upon themselves to nurture these talents to global stardom,” he said.

He said the state was using this 2019 Youth Games as a litmus test to prepare better and stronger for subsequent outings.

“While winning medals is very important at the Youth Games, participation and talents discovery to replace ageing ones are the
most paramount reasons for staging the Youth Games.

“We are so proud of the coaches, the athletes, the state Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the entire Nasarawa State people for standing by Team Nasarawa and always representing the state at all levels of national discourse.

“We will not relent in further paying keen attention to talents discovered at the Games.

“Going back home, we will re-appraise our performance, see where we got it wrong, and come up with immediate solutions for podium height in the future.

“I want to implore everyone here that you should watch out for Team Nasarawa in subsequent events, he said.