Calls for the Taraba state government to join the league of states seeking to host the forthcoming national sports festival have continued to be on the increase.
The calls are emanating from the North-East Zonal Representative on the Board of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, NVBF, Stephen Hasso.
The call, as observed, was made yesterday in Jalingo, the state capital, shortly after the leadership of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation presented an award of excellence to the state governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, in the state.
Hasso who observed that Jolly Nyame stadium which is located along Mile Six road in Jalingo metropolis have all the needed facilities that can enable the state to host national sports events, urged the state government to as a matter of urgency join the league of states already jostling to host the next national sports festival.
Stressing that the State is fast becoming the home of volleyball after succeeding in hosting the first division two volleyball competition last two years, bidding for the next national sports festival, he believed, would help in exposing the state-of-the-art facilities adorning the stadium to the world.
Aligning his weight to that of Hasso, the state commissioner of Youths and Sports Development, Joseph Joshua, said the state is already thinking towards that direction.
For such dreams to be actualized, plans to renovate the stadium, according to him, are already in the pipeline.
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The commissioner who announced that the renovation of the stadium will gulp a whopping sum of N34 billion, said the proposal for the sum would be presented to the State Executive Council for approval.
Announcing that a new swimming pool would be constructed at the stadium to meet Olympic standards if eventually renovated, all sports activities in the state, he believed would pick up.
Other areas within the stadium earmarked for renovations, as stated by the commissioner, include the upgrading of the stadium’s hotel to a three-star hotel, as well as the roofing of the spectator’s stand among others.
Reiterating his readiness to join forces with the Director of the State Sports Council George Shitta to identify young talents that would represent Taraba in future competitions, he admonished the people of the state, especially the youths to embrace sports which he viewed as a tool of unity.
At the time of filing this report, the state, as noticed by our reporter, is hosting the second phase of the 2023 Beach Volleyball tournament.
