The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Ondo Chapter has called on the state government to urgently intervene in the dwindling fortunes of sports in the State.
The association in a statement signed on Monday by its Chairman and Secretary, Segun Giwa and Joseph Adesuyan, respectively, also lamented the continuous delay in the upgrading of Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.
Thefrontrank reports that the statement was titled “Sporting Facility: Intervene before it is too late, SWAN urges Ondo State Government”.
The statement read in parts: “This is coming after several stakeholders had urged the state government to, as a matter of urgency, attend to issues causing continuous delay in the upgrading of Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.
“There have been recent complaints of lack of funds/attention for other sports like basketball, volleyball, hockey and handball, among others.
“Also, the state owned football team Sunshine Stars now play all their matches in the Nigeria Premier Football League, away from their original home ground in Akure Stadium thus plunging the club into relegation scares.
“Sunshine Stars’ journey within the second week of December had been very rough, travelling around the country in a spate of seven days with a rickety bus.
“They played in Ikenne, Ogun State, penultimate Saturday, back to Akure on Sunday and hit the road again on Monday to honour their rescheduled match day 13 against Enyimba International in Aba. They
journeyed back to Akure on Thursday and arrived in Minna on Saturday afternoon to face a much improved Niger Tornadoes, the following day.
“In the same vein, the National Sports Festival beckons yet there is no artificial track, good indoor sports hall or healthy swimming pool to train athletes from the State.
“As a critical sports stakeholder in Ondo State, we passionately appeal to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as a matter of urgency, to declare a state of emergency on government sporting facility in the state for a quick turnaround of results.”
