Lagos- The Lagos State Weightlifting Coach, Taiwo Olabanji on Sunday expressed happiness as electricity has now been restored at the National Stadium weightlifting gymnasium.
Olabanji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that this had boosted training activities at the facility.
According to the coach this positive development may be a fulfillment of a promise that Alhassan Yakmut, the Director-General, National Sports Commission (NSC) made during his visit to Lagos.
“Before, then the gymnasium had been in be darkness such that in some occasions in the past, we not able to tell the difference between morning or evening because of poor lighting in the gymnasium.
“There is electricity everywhere now, except when there is general power outage. Training is going on smoothly and we don’t have to train outside any more.
“The D-G was embarrassed when he entered here last week during his facility visit. He then promised to do something about this place and two days after the light was restored,’’ Olabanji said.
He applauded Yakmut for identifying with the development of the sport, especially the training centre.
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According to him, the centre has produced national and international champions who brought honours to the nation.
“This is the kind of personality we want in the sports sector. The D-G came personally because he really wanted to see and effect improvements.
“We have been longing for a passionate administrator, who will restore the glory of this gymnasium that has produced champions at various level,’’ he said.
The coach, then pleaded with the D-G to also extend the good work to the other dilapidated training facilities presently used by weightlifters for their routine training.
Olabanji said that the obsolete facilities pose risk to the users, stressing the conveniences also needed to be refurbished so that it would be suitable for them to access after training. (NAN)