Nsulu Games to re-open for 1,200 Abia ‘Ninjas’

… ABGRASOD camping may begin on April 22.

The much-abandoned and abused but oldest games village in the entire eastern Nigeria, the Nsulu Games Village (NGV), in Isiala Ngwa local council area of Abia State may soon bounce back in colours and action.

This is because the Abia ‘Ninjas’, the about 1200 grassroots athletes recently discovered in statewide sports trials to form a new army of talents to take the state to new sports heavens in the near-future would begin camping in Nsulu.

BD Sunday gathered that the state governor, Ikpeazu, believed to be about unveiling an aggressive and ambitious sports programme, has ordered the handover of the village to the Abia State Grassroots Sports Development Initiative (ABGRASOD), a public private partnership initiative targeted at creating sports business revolution in the state.

BD Sunday gathered that Okezie Ikpeazu had paid private visits to the Games Village on few occasions while driving along that route to see things for himself. This gave indications that something big must be about to happen there.

Nsulu Games Village was built as a training centre during Ukpabi Asika regime when he was civilian administrator of the defunct East Central State. Sources said it used to be the camping centre for Spartans Football Club of Owerri in the old Imo State. It later became the camp for Enyimba Football Club.

The Village may have last been renovated by the first executive governor of Abia State, Ogbonnaya Onu. It served as camp for Abia State contingents to different national competitions. It later served as the Abia State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp till mid-1920s when they built the state’s NYSC permanent camp.

During the reign of kidnapping in the Abia State, the centre became a choice-location for soldiers sent to engage the kidnappers as the Nigerian Army used it as mini-barracks. The Army only vacated in 2016.

Now, Ikpeazu is free to allow his sporting imagination run wild with grassroots sporting mega-academy as the first. ABGRASOD is a PPP that allows Praik Applied Nigeria Limited to lead a consortium of consultants and partners select 60 talented Abia athletes of between 11 and 15 years into a mega-academy that combines schooling (in their original schools initially) and sports training of international standards. International partners would send their training manuals that ABGRASOD coaches would apply in camp so as to create talents that fit straight into any academy in the world due to the standardized training. The camp convenes during holidays only.

A telecom giant is said to have snapped the right to renovate the Village and allow Nsulu to wear their colours which will imprint into the minds of the about 1200 young athletes on a permanent basis.

A source in ABGRASOD hinted that the Games Village has capacity for about 12,000 athletes in hostel-like accommodation. It has apartments for trainers and officials plus offices. Many buildings have been de-roofed, wild grasses have taken over most sections, it was gathered. About 5000 could still be accommodated in the hostels that still roofs.

The CEO of Praik Applied (Nigeria) and Coordinator of ABGRASOD, Kalu Prince-Iroha, confirmed that camping was planned to start on Aril 17. He said the focus would be on Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach-Volleyball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Cycling, Darts, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Kick-Boxing, Kung-Fu, Lawn Tennis, Polo, Rugby, Scrabble, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Trampoline, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Para-Athletics, Para-Power-lifting, Para-Table Tennis, among others. Golf would not be played at Nsulu because of absence of a golf course in the camp but officials say they are eying Aba Sports Club.

Support is welling for the Abia Ninjas. The governor’s wife is believed to be playing huge motherly roles and may be spearheading support for feeding of athletes. The over 1200 athletes and almost 100 officials would need to eat three times a day for the one month. Over 50 bags of rice and other food stuffs have been pledged.

Governor is said to be very keen and may support with logistics plants (including vehicle). A former governor’s son is said to see the scheme as a good break for youths of the state and is believed to be ready to donate a bus to help move athletes.

Security has been given high priority as the army, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence plus Abia special security teams may be ready to ply key roles.

Health may not be left out as about 10 medical doctors may be standing by to move to the camp. The Health Management Board may help with ambulances and other medical support facilities, all to ensure that the first camping would be a huge success.

The Commissioner for Sports in Abia, a chief, Chinwe Nwanganga, had said early in February 2017 that the state government would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding with a foreign firm to fully develop the NsuluGames Village.

Nwanganga had also hinted that representatives of the firm would visit the state in April 2017 for the signing of the agreement on provision of modern facilities for the training of talents in different fields of sports.

The sports boss had added said that the games village, would however be used for the hunting of talents at the grassroots level, noting that the business angle to sports would be the new focus. He had told newsmen that the Ikpeazu administration intends to harness the potentials in sports by developing the sector to provide gainful employment for the youths.

He also quoted to have said that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had approved N70 million for the commencement of the development of three sporting facilities in the three senatorial districts of Abia North, South and Central.

 

Ignatius Chukwu