Imo State will begin preparations for the next National Sports Festival tagged Delta 2022 early by the mode of discovering and harnessing hidden talents in various sporting events from the nook and crannies of the State and its environs.
Mrs Henrietta Agbaere, the Acting Director of Sports of Imo State Sports Commission disclosed this to members of Imo State Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) led by Everest Ezihe as the body paid her a courtesy cum solidarity visit at her office in Dan Anyiam Stadium Complex, Owerri.
Agbaere expressed gratitude to Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma, the Deputy Speaker Imo House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu who’s also the House Committee Chairman on Sports, Hon. Dan Ogu, the State Commissioner of Sports and Youth Development and other stakeholders for the confidence and trust they repose in her, which she said necessitated her appointment.
She pointed out that less than two months of her appointment that she has demonstrated her willingness to uplift sports and sporting activities in the state to a higher level, this she said include ensuring that the state maintained a prime position during the last sports festival and attraction of sporting competitions to the state.
According to her” Imo State have started preparation for Delta 2022 National Sports Festival. The state government is investing heavily in the renovation of Dan Anyiam stadium complex. Before the next two weeks, a world class tartan track will be laid at Dan Anyiam Stadium’s mainbowl. Alot of renovations and rehabilitations are happening at the state sporting facilities. The State government is transforming and repositioning sports activities. Infact, Imo is live again as talent hunts are on going in various autonomous communities in the state” she informed.
Earlier, Mr Ezihe said the essence of the visit was to solidify his Association’s synergy and mutual partnership with the Commission in all their collaborative programmes.
The SWAN Chairman canvassed on the need for the commission to carry her members along in all her sporting activities noting sports as a media event.
He lamented on the demolition of the Association’s Secretariat complex by the Rescue mission administration of Owelle Rochas Okorocha and called on the State government on the need to rebuild the Association’s Secretariat in the over all development of sports and sporting journalism in the state.
The highlight of the visitation was facility tour of the stadium complex in which the sports journalists were suprisingly exposed to alot of renovation and rehabilitation works, an ultra modern indoor building complex with over 70% completion, a very beautiful second training pitch for Heartland FC and an ongoing Olympic sized Swimming pool which the contractor told sports journalists that it would be ready in two months time, inview of workers and equipments on site.
