As part of efforts to develop sports in the state, Kwara Government said it had commenced the renovation of the indoor Sports Hall of the state stadium at the cost of N2.06 billion.
The Executive Chairman of the State Sports Commission, Bola Mogaji disclosed this while addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Ilorin.
He said that Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was determined to bring the stadium back to its standard, adding that the renovation would be completed in 12 months.
He said that when completed, the stadium will accommodate about 25 different sports.
Mogaji said previous administrations in the state had neglected the indoor sports hall for long, leading to its bad condition.
“Due to lack of maintenance, some of our athletes were being attacked by reptiles,“he said.
The chairman said that when completed, it will become a centre of tourism as local and international tournaments would be held there.
Mogaji assured that both state and National Sports Festival would be held inside the sports hall after completion of the renovation works.
He said that the state government was committed to take the youths out of the streets and make them have social value and benefit.
“The target is not aimed at financial gains or rewards only, but to make the youth shun drug, thuggery and hooliganism and be more useful to the state and themselves,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sports hall was constructed under the administration of retired Brig-Gen. Agbazika Innih in 1977.
