Bauchi State Commissioner for Sports, Ibrahim Saleh, has promised to take the issue of refurbishing sports infrastructure in the state to governor of the state, Abdullahi Abubakar.
Saleh who was at the just concluded 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, said that his experience at RIO2016 has shown that infrastructure are key top sports development.
“Some of the facilities provided by Brazil to stage the Rio Olympic Games were in excellent condition and among the best in the world,’’ Saleh told NAN in Rio de Janeiro.
“My Governor, in spite of funds’ challenges occasioned by the global downturn in the economy sponsored me alongside the state’s chairman of the Bauchi State Sports Council and a member of a State House of Assembly to come and be part of the global celebrations of sports here in Rio de Janeiro.
“He (governor) undertook to sponsor us to the Rio Games because of his sheer love for sports and the benefit the experience will bring to the state.
“He wants us to be part of the global community and to advise him on how best to use the pedestal of sports to advance the cause of humanity.
“We have seen for ourselves how great the Olympic is. It is a wonderful experience being here to see the passion of the Brazilians and how they are organising the Games. I believe that we can tap into this exposure to better our sports in Bauchi for the social-economic development our state’’.
According to him despite the `empty treasury’ that the governor inherited from previous administration, he had already done a lot to uplift sports.
He had spent a lot of resources to support the state’s soccer team, the Wikki Tourists of Bauchi and “the club is right now doing well in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
“This is all due to the love and resources the governor had been providing to the club’’.
“I will certainly urge the governor to do more for sports development after seeing how the Brazilians have used sports to build their economy.
“We have a lot to learn from them,’’ he said.
