WARRI:24 hours to the commencement of the first African Youth Athletics Competition, AYAC, to be staged in Warri, Delta State, the swimming pool at the Warri City stadium is still under construction, while the media centre was still being painted, Fresh Angle investigation reveals.
Our Senior Correspondent who visited the Warri City stadium reports that renovation works taking place at the Warri City Stadium includes the painting of the media centre, carpentry work on a changing room close to the swimming pool as well as welding and fabrication work inside the main bowl of the stadium close to the generating plant.
One Mr. Lewis Masowa, who was sighted working on the training pitch claimed against the obvious that work on the training pitch is already completed, even as he admitted that the swimming pool may not be ready for the competition which is attracting athletes from all over Africa.
Fresh Angle can authoritatively report that the only area of the Stadium ready for the 5-day event is the main pitch and tartan tracks, even though most hotels in Warri and environs have been booked by guests as well as athletes expected to participate in the event.
When Our Senior Correspondent visited the Warri City stadium at about 1:14pm Tuesday March 26, only Multi Choice, Operators of DSTV had mounted their Video cameras ahead of the opening ceremony slated for Wednesday March 27, while ushers hired to work during the event were seen on ground obviously waiting for the next instruction.
Although none of the organizers of the competition were on ground to speak to Fresh Angle, sources say officials of Delta State Sports Commission were reportedly making frantic efforts to ensure that the African Youth Athletics Competition is successful, as a 100KVA generator was recently procured as backup to Power Holding Company of Nigeria power supply.
Security operatives were also sighted around the stadium premises, ostensibly to ward off any security breach both within and outside the stadium.
Indications are rife that despite the pockets of banners placed on strategic locations in parts of Warri and environs on the 5-day event, most residents of Warri appears not to be in the know of the event as a result of inadequate sensitization, thus heightening fears that there might not be enough spectators to watch the AYAC even though the gates are being thrown open by the Delta state government and two Nigerian top artistes are billed to perform.
Source: Freshangle