Kaduna state government has concluded arrangements to build seven neighbourhood sports centers in the Kaduna Central senatorial zone by September in a bid to improve grassroots sports development in the state.
Kaduna state Commissioner for Sports Development, Professor Kabiru Mato, who disclosed this on Tuesday in Kaduna said Senator Uba Sani will build six of the sports centers in six of the seven local governments within his senatorial zone, while Governor Nasir el-Rufai will build one in his Ungwar Sarki neighbourhood all before end of third quarter of the year.
Addressing questions from sports writers on the sidelines of the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development North West Zonal Stakeholders meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday, Mato who earlier declared the meeting open as a special guest of honour, explained that the ministry planned to construct sports centres in densely populated areas across the state before the COVID-19 outbreak and paucity of funds slowed it down.
“We had to approach members of the National Assembly from the state and appealed to them to build neighborhood centres in their constituencies as part of their constituency projects. Senator Uba Sani has already assured that he is giving us six neighbourhood centres in six of the seven local government areas in Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone.
“Governor Nasir el-Rufai also pledged to provide one neighborhood sports center in his area of residence, Ungwan Sarki. I thank the Northwest zonal office for organising competitions despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Northwest is doing well in sports. We would continue to support our young boys and girls to fulfil their potentials in sports.”
The Commissioner however enjoined the Directors of Sports from the seven states in the zone to ensure that they revive school sports in their various states to realise the potentials in they’d states.
