The Imo Government said it will harness local talents to save the state-owned Heartland Football Club (FC) from collapse.
The Commissioner for Sports Development, Mr Evaristus Onyeocha, said this while addressing newsmen yesterday in Owerri.
Onyeocha, who decried the relegation of Heartland FC to the Nigerian National League (NNL), said holistic efforts were being made to improve the team’s quality in the near future.
The commissioner, however, expressed happiness over the improvement of the club’s feeder U-13 team.
He said with proper training of the feeder team and their deployment to the senior squad, Heartland FC would be a great team in the future.
“If we train them very well, I don’t think anyone will beat Heartland FC in the next five years,” Onyeocha said.
The commissioner also said the government was carrying out major renovations at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri to ensure it was up to modern stadium standards.
He also promised to follow up on the ongoing construction of an Olympic-standard swimming pool in the stadium to ensure its timely completion.
Onyeocha commended Imo athletes for representing the state at sporting events like the National Youth Games, National Sports Festival, and Niger Delta Sports Festival.
The commissioner reiterated the government’s commitment to sports development at the grassroots and other levels in the state.