Nigeria targets world class hockey facility as NSC eyes continental hosting right
Nigeria's ambition to become a leading destination for international sports received another boost as the National Sports Commission (NSC) reaffirmed its commitment to upgrading the country's sporting infrastructure, with hockey facilities placed high on its development agenda.
The assurance came when NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, hosted the President of the Africa Hockey Federation (AHF), , at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja. The AHF chief was accompanied by the board of the Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF), led by its President, Engr. Simon Obadiah Nkom.
Responding to calls for the installation of modern artificial hockey pitches across the country, Dikko said the Federal Government had already commenced a phased programme to overhaul Nigeria's sports infrastructure, beginning with the .
"I have noted your comments pertaining to the hockey facilities, and all I can tell you is that you are coming at the right time. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is committed to the upscaling of our facilities and has given his go ahead for a massive development and restructuring of our sporting facilities.
"We have phased this facilities upgrade and it will surely go round the country. We are now in phase 1 and the Moshood Abiola National Stadium is in this phase. All the facilities in this stadium including the hockey pitch are part of phase 1. Our target is to restore the glory of this Stadium as it was in 2003 when we hosted the All Africa Games and even upgrade it with more modern facilities.
We have noted your submission on the modern trends in hockey facilities and be rest assured that when we get to work on the hockey pitch, we will deploy the best experts that will do the needful."
The NSC Chairman also revealed plans to establish a National Sports Infrastructure Development Bond to finance the rehabilitation of sports facilities nationwide.
"We are not paying mere lip service to this. The President has approved for us to work with Federal Ministry of Finance, Debt Management office and private sector experts to set up the “National Sports Infrastructure Development Bond” to help aggregate funds for the fixing of sports facilities in the country.
We are going to do due diligence and fix the hockey pitches across the country. Right now, we are even fixing the stadium in Kaduna in collaboration with Kaduna State Government and the Hockey pitch is included."
Dikko further stressed that the Commission's infrastructure renewal programme extends to grassroots sports through the revitalisation of school sports facilities.
"We are seriously reviving our school sports. Those days almost every school had a functional hockey pitch. We are going to bring back those good old days and even improve on it," he said.
Earlier, Ahmed assured the NSC that Nigeria could secure the hosting rights for the next African Hockey Championships once its facilities meet international standards.
In response, Dikko said hosting major global competitions remains a central objective of the Commission's sports development strategy.
"This aligns with our vision to host as many international tournaments as possible. The reason why we are upscaling the facilities in the first place is that we want this nation to be a global sporting hub hosting international tournaments across sports in addition to providing the platform to professionally develop our domestic sports ecosystem.
It helps us to achieve our sports economy mandate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. Moreover, these facilities deteriorate easily if not used regularly."
He also commended NHF President Engr. Nkom for prioritising the maintenance of hockey facilities at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
"This is what we expect from every Federation President. Everything should not be left to the Federal Government. We and the Federations are partners in this whole sports development vision. Our destinies are intertwined. If you succeed, we succeed. If you fail, we fail," he concluded.
In his remarks, Ahmed praised the steady progress of Nigerian hockey, expressing confidence that improved infrastructure would significantly enhance the country's competitiveness.
Nkom revealed that Nigeria is currently ranked 36th in the world and consistently occupies second to fourth positions in Africa, describing the progress as a remarkable turnaround from previous years. He credited the Dikko led NSC for providing strong support towards the sport's resurgence.
Also speaking, German technical facilitator Michael Bierman, who is currently assisting the NHF, said Nigeria possesses abundant hockey talent capable of thriving in Europe, but stressed that better facilities are essential to fully develop the country's immense potential.
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