Some users of the National Stadium, Lagos, have urged Segun Akinlotun, the newly appointed Ministry of Youths and Sports’ Laison Officer to improve the standard of the facilitiy’s environment.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as Akinlotan assumed office that they were glad about the appointment of the administrator and said that they were full of expectations from him about improving standard of stadium.
An Athletics Coach, Adenuga Adegboyega, appealed to the new officer to take a thorough visit of the stadium complex and see things for himself to guide his actions.
Adegboyega said that the facilities and environment were not in good condition and needed to be put in order for users to train and be happy.
“I am happy that the wind of change has blown to the stadium, it is a welcome development but it will be good for the new manager to observe everywhere himself, not sending people.
“He is a sports person and have occupied some federation offices in this stadium, so, he should understand the problems better and know how to effect positive changes here,’’ he said.
Paul Kehinde, a 2016 Paralympian, told NAN that lifters would be glad if the new management could carry out visible changes in the gymnasium to enhance their training.
Kehinde said weights and babbels used for training were obsolete and pulls out from the source while training was in progress, thereby putting athletes in danger.
“We have been suffering in this gymnasium and risking our life because the equipment we use are bad, so we really want new sets for our training,’’ he said.
A Para-athletics Coach, Austin Chima, called on Akinlotun to address the issue of using the stadium complex for social activities to the detriment of sports events.
Chima said that whenever such social events were holding, it affects their training and sometimes compels them in to postpone it.
“We need the officer to restore the purpose for which this stadium was built, and not for church, wedding, meetings and other social activities,’’ he said.
Monday Williams, an amputee footballer, also urged Akinlotun to ensure that the main bowl was usually open and accessible to footballers and other athletes for training.
Williams said the main bowl was sometimes open on Mondays, Wednesday’s and Fridays for athletes to train but the duration was short to accommodate the teaming fans using the facility.
“Most able and disabled body athletes use the main bowl for training so there is always rush on the three days that it is open, so, we need it to be open always,’’ he said.