There is need to renovate and improve the state of Nyahururu Stadium to modern standards in a bid to attract more teams, a taskforce looking into the state of Laikipia County Stadiums has heard.
During the public participation held at the stadium, the sportsmen and women highlighted a number of challenges they encounter in the stadium, including lack of basic amenities such as changing rooms, public toilets and drainage systems.
“We had to pool our resources to construct a temporary toilet since the county government had failed to build a decent toilet,” said Veteran Coach, Robert Kioni.
The sportsmen and women said the stadium’s poor drainage had forced most players training in the field to suspend their training during rainy seasons, or seek alternative in local primary school which are not convenient for them.
“Whenever it rains, the field gets flooded and tracks get muddy. The huge trees surrounding the stadium prevent the tracks from getting enough sunshine hence it takes a lot of time to dry,” said Mr. Dickson Kamau, an athlete who depends on the stadium for training.
The sportsmen and women lamented a shortage of sporting equipment that were essential to the players during training and competition. This, they said, had forced them to use their resources to acquire sporting equipment.
“We don’t have javelins, discus, vaulting equipment, football and volleyball nets. The little equipment that are available are either worn out or outdated,” added Kamau.
The taskforce chair, James Mwangi urged the sportsmen to look for alternative sources of funding, noting that they cannot wholly depend on the county government’s support.
“You should come up with a list of friends of the stadium who have trained in this stadium and are international champions who we can approach to help us with funds,” said Mwangi.
Athletes prefer the stadium because it is in a high altitude area, favorable for training.
The Nyahururu stadium has previously produced some prominent athletes who have won in international events such as the late Samuel Wanjiru who won Gold Medal in Beijing in 2008, Kipchoge Keino Senior who won Gold Medal in Olympic in Munich in 1972.
The stadium is also used by several teams as home ground such as Aspires Football Team, All Stars and Griffon Football, who participate in County League and Division 2 League.
The Nyahururu volleyball team also trains at the same stadium has been unbeaten within the county.
By George Njeri/Francis Macharia
