SWAN Award: Ezeonwuka Invites Soludo To Partner Rojenny Stadium To Boost Sports Sector
Rommy Ezeonwuka, Managing Director of Rojenny Stadium and Games Village, Oba, the first privately owned Olympic sports stadium in Nigeria has dedicated his award to teeming Nigerian youths who lack access to standard sports facilities.
Ezeonwuka was bestowed the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Distinguished Service Award (SDSA) by the national leadership of the body for his contributions to sports development in Nigeria during the just concluded diamond jubilee of the association in Abuja.
Speaking on his award, Ezeonwuka said his dream when he embarked on the construction of the stadium was to provide a facility that would give millions of youths the access to become world champions in their preferred sports.
He said he was proud to have hosted top
national and continental football matches at the facility as well as served as a breeding ground for generations of world champions including the famous Japan ‘93 Golden Eaglets.
He appreciated the national leadership of SWAN for recognising his contributions and honouring him after about 40 years.
He however expressed worry that the multi billion naira facility had not only been underutilised but allowed to decay due to government refusal to adopt it or partner the management.
“I want to thank SWAN for this award and also dedicate it to our youths who benefitted from Rojenny intervention and millions of Nigerian youths who do not have the opportunity to develop their skills because they lack access to training facilities.
“My regret is that the government both federal and state refused to let into the vision, Rojenny did not get the type of competitions that should come from our population, this would have helped in maintaining it.
“I want to use the opportunity to invite the Anambra government to partner with Rojenny as a way of bridging the sports infrastructure gap in the state because that is the only bragging right they have to host any major national sports competition,” he said.
Ezeonwuka built the Rojenny facility from 1983 and completed it in 1986 as the first privately owned Olympic sports stadium in Nigeria for sporting excellence out of the forest of Oba.
The stadium played host to both national league games at a time Anambra had Jasper United, Udoji United and Gabros FC all defunct, in the elite division and home ground for Nigeria club sides on Continental contest.
Clubs from other African countries including Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Morocco, and Cote d’Ivoire had played at the stadium during their away games to Nigerian clubs.
Rojenny Stadium was the incubation ground for the Kanu Nwankwo led Nigeria U-17 football team under Fanny Amun for almost two years before they stormed Japan in 1993 and stunned the world in one of the country’s best performances at that level.
The stadium has one of the best standard dimensions for track and field in Southeast.
