Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been urged by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Ondo Chapter, to immediately declare state of emergency in the state’s sports industry.

SWAN expressed concern that sports in the state are slowly falling into a stupor while bemoaning their declining status.

According to a statement released by Segun Giwa, the state’s SWAN chairman, and Joseph Adesuyan, his secretary, the ongoing hold-up in the Ondo State Sports Complex’s renovation has had a negative effect on athletes’ preparation for competitions.

The sports writer’s leadership stated that there have been recent lack of funding and interest in other sports, including handball, hockey, basketball, and volleyball.

Additionally, the association raised that the state football team Sunshine Stars now plays all their matches in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, away from their original home ground in Akure Stadium, hence plunging the club into relegation scares.

The statement read, “Sunshine Stars’ journey within the second week of December had been very rough, travelling around the country in a spate of seven days with a rickety bus.

“They played in Ikenne, Ogun State, penultimate Saturday, back to Akure on Sunday, and hit the road again on Monday to honour their rescheduled match day 13 against Enyimba International in Aba. They journeyed back to Akure on Thursday and arrived in Minna on Saturday afternoon to face a much-improved Niger Tornadoes the following day.

“In the same vein, the National Sports Festival beckons, yet there is no artificial track, good indoor sports hall, or healthy swimming pool to train athletes from the State.

“As a critical sports stakeholder in Ondo State, we passionately appeal to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as a matter of urgency, to declare a state of emergency on government sporting facilities in the state for a quick turnaround of results.”