Date: 2018-01-10

The Kwara State Government is to carry out major renovation work and upgrade the facilities at the Baseball and Softball Pitch at Adewole Estate In Ilorin , the Kwara state capital to meet both local and international standards. The State commissioner for youth and sports, Pharmacist Kale Ayo confirmed this development in his office during an interview with VON.

Pharmacist Ayo said the state governor , Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has already given approval for the renovation which is expected to commence very soon.

According to him , the major purpose for the upgrading of the pitch is to serve as venue for the forth coming trade fair to be organized by the Kwara state chamber of commerce , industry , mines and agriculture , (KWACCIMA ) in the state.

The commissioner said after the upgrading, the base ball pitch would also be used for other useful purposes .

Reacting to the development , the President of KWACCIMA , Alhaji Ahmed Raji said he was overwhelmed that the governor had conceded to their request for the use of the pitch for their forthcoming trade fair .

He also commended the state government for agreeing to renovate and upgrade the facilities .

Alhaji Raji disclosed that all hands are on deck to ensure that a befitting trade fair of international standard that would further expose the potentials of the state and the nation is opened to the entire world and bring in more investors.

According to him , various committees shall soon be put in place to work towards ensuring a hitch free 2018 KWARA state International trade fair which is expected to hold by the middle of this year.

It would be recalled that the pitch was built in 1990 by the Federal Government at the cost of fifty million Naira and commissioned by the then Vice President, Augustus Aikhomu .

But for sometime now, the pitch has fallen into disrepair as the roofing has almost entirely gone, the fence has broken down , the walls coming down and the paints completely pealing off the walls of the pitch.

A cross- section of some people who spoke on the plans of the state government to renovate and upgrade the pitch described it as as welcome development adding that when completed , would serve for various purposes including sporting activities which was the initial purpose for constructing the edifice.