Awka Stadium Ready For Partial Use

IFEANYICHUKWU AFUBA

In what seems like a Christmas gift to the State’s youths, Anambra State Government says phase one of the Awka Stadium will be completed by end of December 2020.

The Chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission, Hon Tony Oli, broke the heart – warming news at a round table with members of the Governor’s Media Office.

‘The Awka Stadium has attained sixty percent development’ an excited Oli stated.

The Sports Development Commission helmsman, who invited the Media Office on a tour of the project, 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, score board, and the remodelled existing pavilion are captured in this first phase.’

Hon Tony Oli explained that consistent with Governor Willie Obiano’s stickler for high standards, quality was not being compromised in the project.

“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.”

Expansion of sitting pavilion and indoor games facilities will form the focus of phase two development.

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.”

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.