Sports
Surulere Stadium Returning To Its Lost Glory As Contractor Completes Tartan Track, Scoreboard Others
Joel Ajayi
The National Stadium Surulere, a sporting arena in the Center Of Excellence Lagos has no hope of returning to its lost glory, as a result of years of deplorable state, decaying, neglected, and completely abandoned for over two decades.
Several administrations vowed to renovate the edifice, but the more they pledged to do this, the more the decay continued. Until the coming of Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday Dare with a vision for infrastructural restoration in the country.
A glance at the edifice showed that, after lying 20 years of rotting, the National Stadium Surulere is back to life courtesy of the effort of Former Sports Minister Sunday Dare.
Like him or hate him, the story of infrastructure development of sports in Nigeria can’t be complete without the impact of the Former Minister who took advantage Of private-public partnership PPP initiatives to bring some of the dying stadiums alive after some years of neglect.
He promised to turn around the deteriorating sporting facilities across the country.
Another Stadium that came alive under his watch was Moshood Abiola National Stadium now in good shape to host any international matches courtesy of Aliko Dangote.
The Abuja stadium has undergone rehabilitation with re-grassing of the main pitch, replacement of the scoreboard, and vandalized cables, which ensures the facility is well-lit at night to enhance security, all made possible due to the intervention and collaboration with the Dangote Group.
The Gleamer News equally gathered that, very soon stakeholders, sports lovers, athletes players once again will enjoy another Abandoned but restored 51-year-old stadium Surulere National Stadium that just returned to its pride and dignity.
Built in 1972 by the regime of General Yakubu Gowon, the sports arena hosted the 1973 African Games, as Nigeria emerged champions for the first time, before it hosted the 1980 AFCON, with the men’s football national team, then known as the Green Eagles, ruling Africa for the first time ever as well.
When immediate past Sports Minister Sunday Dare visited the stadium three years ago, he promised to renovate the stadium, using his adopt-a-stadium initiative, with billionaire businessman Adebutu Kessington taking over the renovation of the main bowl and football scoreboard of the stadium.
It was like the usual promise by the past administrator but renovation works began bulldozers rolled into the stadium with illegal shops demolished, and the owners, in their hundreds, were sent packing.
Today, The Gleamer News can authoritatively report that the National Stadium, Surulere glory is returned as the Contractor Completes Tartan Track and Scoreboard.
Now, more than ever, this project has resonated in the Lago city center and It will immediately become a beautiful source of pride for the Nigerians and a destination for sporting activities
Sports
Nigerian teenager, Ilenikhena outshines Yamal Scores, As Monaco beat Barca 2-1
Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena scored on his Champions League debut as Monaco produced an upset against 10-man Barcelona.
The 18-year-old substitute raced on to Vanderson’s long ball over the top of the defence in the 71st minute and blasted his shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Eric Garcia had earlier been shown a straight red card with just 10 minutes gone when he fouled Takumi Minamino as the last man after a poor pass out from the back by Ter Stegen.
Monaco took the lead soon after when Maghnes Akliouche slotted past Ter Stegen who was rooted to the spot.
Barcelona’s own teenage star Lamine Yamal equalised with his first Champions League goal when he latched on to a long ball and cut inside before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner.
But Ilenikhena’s goal, his first since signing from Royal Antwerp in the summer, condemned Barcelona to an opening defeat.
Vanderson’s strike from the edge of the area was pushed past the post while Minamino had an effort deflected on to the crossbar for the hosts.
It could have been a more emphatic win but Folarin Balogun had a penalty overturned late on following a video assistant referee (VAR) check after he was adjudged to have gone down too easily under the challenges.
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