Kwara’s crumbling indoor sports Hall

One major setback in our society is the lack of a maintenance culture. Many  public buildings which used to be the pride of the country, are in a decrepit state today, owing largely to  a lack of maintenance, or laxity on the part of those responsible for the maintenance of the facility. Therefore, such facilities, […]

One major setback in our society is the lack of a maintenance culture. Many  public buildings which used to be the pride of the country, are in a decrepit state today, owing largely to  a lack of maintenance, or laxity on the part of those responsible for the maintenance of the facility.
Therefore, such facilities, many of which abound in every corner of the country, do not last or finally become abandoned, in spite of the huge resources initially committed to the project.
The Kwara State Stadium Complex is one expansive edifice cherished by the sports loving residents of Kwara for, among other factors, its strategic location; the facilities which cannot be found anywhere in Nigeria or the West African sub region, and the potential of the facilities to engage many jobless youths.  
From the gate to the training pitches, swimming pool, outdoor twin basketball and volleyball courts, main bowl, football academy and the indoor sports hall, the stadium complex stands out as the first of its kind in the country, and it was built at a moderately lower cost at the time it was initiated.
The arena, built in 1977 by the then Military administrator of the state, late Brigadier-General George  Innih, remains the only stadium in the country owned by a state government, with the largest concentration of sports, numbering 28 in the whole complex.  It hosted the 1985 National Sports Festival, and it has also hosted several other important sports tournaments, like the World Handball Championship in 1991, among others.
While the stadium still maintains its nice appearance, thanks to the upgrading of the mini bowl by the immediate past administration of Governor Bukola Saraki, the indoor sports hall which has the capacity to host a large number of sports simultaneously,  looks quite decrepit,  due largely to lack of maintenance.
The upgrading of the mini bowl to a world class standard with increased seating capacity, synthetic playing pitch, Olympic standard tartan tracks, flood lights and an electronic scoreboard by the last administration, was seen as a commendable step by many sports enthusiasts, but the state of the indoor sports hall remains  worrying.  
This is despite the fact that the arena still plays host to  a series of local, national and regional sporting events,  including the DSTV basketball league (serves as home ground for the Kwara Falcons), the annual Milo Basketball Tourney for Secondary Schools, Volleyball, Handball, Table Tennis tournaments, among others.  
However, the all-important hall is in shambles presenting a  leaking roof, broken chairs for spectators, damaged air conditioners, and the place becomes  uninhabitable especially during the rainy season.    

A source lamented that the neglect of the stadium was as a result of lip service paid to sports development by the past administrations, noting that since 1999  money was being appropriated for the complex, yet no serious maintenance work has been carried out, until the upgrading of the main bowl by the previous administration.
He said “Past administrations have only paid lip service to sports development. To them, sports is all about winning laurels, but it goes beyond that. You have to invest in infrastructure development that will have the capacity to build and nurture talents.  The  administration of Senator Bukola Saraki reconstructed the main bowl, and it was expected that  successive administrations will do same, by renovating the indoor sports hall too.  
“However, the state of disrepair of the indoor sports hall, calls for urgent attention or else it would cave in. It is better to renovate the building, and it will also be advisable for the government to contact the original contractors from Belgium (World team Dubbornet). Doing this will ensure that a proper renovation of the place is carried out by capable hands.”
The source also called for adequate funding of the sports council which oversees activities in the stadium, saying the council is sufficiently  funded to be able to properly maintain facilities at the stadium, especially the squash and tennis courts that are virtually moribund.

Coach Kasali Lasisi ,one of the legendary tennis players in Nigeria, described the indoor sports hall as the first of its kind in Nigeria and West Africa, saying it requires retouching to put it in shape.   
According to him “I think this is because of the financial problem the state government is currently facing. I also believe, according to what the governor is saying, that maybe by this year, something should be done about the indoor stadium, because towards the end of last year, they sent many contractors to come and look at the place and suggest a way forward.  I believe maybe after the election, anybody that comes in will have a look at the place.
“It is an opportunity to have that kind of indoor sports hall. Many states can’t boast of an edifice of this magnitude. I think it is better they try to do something about the hall  soon. It is one of a kind. One of the best indoor sports halls, not only in Nigeria, but also in West Africa, and it is just sad that that place has to be in such a bad state.”  

However, those agitating for the renovation or reconstruction of the hall, may soon heave a sigh of relief. The state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed in his 2015 budget presentation, stated “In 2015 financial year, we intend to completely overhaul and modernize the indoor sports hall of the Ilorin Township Stadium , in line with the high standards of  the Main Bowl , and in order to promote sports development, especially among our youths.”
The state Director of sports, Coach Tunde Kazeem, assured sports loving Kwarans that the indoor sports hall would soon be renovated  “by the special grace of  the Almighty, the governor has promised Kwarans that he will modernize the indoor sports hall, just like his predecessor upgraded the mini bowl to a main bowl. So I want to assure that all things being equal, the indoor hall will not be left untouched .
“That indoor hall has hosted a lot of international tournaments, and it can accommodate many events at the same time. It stands out as one of the best in the country. I believe the edifice will be put into  better shape very soon.”