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By Correspondent in Minna.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has assured supporters of newly promoted Niger Tornadoes football club of Minna of state government plans to put the Bako Kontagora memorial stadium in order, for them to prosecute their home matches.
Our Correspondent reports that the governor’s assurance is coming against the backdrop of unsavoury comments about the inability of Niger state government to provide training pitches to sport men and women in the state.
The online publication further reports that the past five years have been tough for sports men and women representing the state at local and international levels due to non-availability of training facilities.
The Independent Sports findings traced the poor outing of the state at the last National Sports Festival (Edo 2020) and most recently, the National Youth Games at Ilorin, Kwara state to such developmnt.
The Finding also shows that while Squash players use the sports facilities of the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigeria Army, Minna, others sports men and women go as far as to Kaduna state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja for training.
Sports analysts said the Governor, apparently worried by the criticisms against his administrations’ lack of support to sports, might have decided to do the needful by supporting Niger Tornadoes to ensure they get back to the elite division.
Despite paucity of funds, the Bako Kontagora memorial stadium, Minna will be fixed, Governor Bello further assured, as he expressed state government’s determination to ensure that youths were given the right opportunity to express their God- given talents, throuh sports.
As part of efforts to curtail negative comments, Sani Bello said, “I am very pleased with the performance of Niger Tornadoes football club and I want to see how the Bako Kontagora memorial stadium can be immediately put to shape, to host their home matches”.
“The team(Niger Tornadoes football club) have been doing very well. As a government, we will do all within our power to support them, by putting the stadium to shape so that they can play their matches at home”.
Governor Bello also hinted that, the administration under his watch, apart from giving the Bako Kontagora stadium facelift, would also look at the possibility of resuming work at the abandoned ultra modern stadium at Maikunkule, subject to availability of funds.
“If we have the resources, I think we will resume work at the abandoned ultra modern stadium at Maikunkule, initiated by the last administration, to enable us have a world class sporting facility”.
Sports findings also indicate that, due to deplorable condition of the Minna stadium, the management of Tornadoes football club are planning to play all their matches at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna,Kaduna state, a move said to have created crack among state football enthusiasts.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
