Precisely, Wednesday 22nd April, 2020 was the World Earth Day. This day is dedicated for the environmental protection of Mother Earth and its resources. In that might, I strolled into the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to do a personal short video clip with my camcorder to commiserate Earth day to post on my YouTube page only to notice the lushness of green of the natural pitch grass of the stadium.
I smiled and remembered that due to the halting of all Sports related activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Godswill Akpabio stadium has regained its freshness due to the care to the pitch by the stadium marksmen and officials.
Nigeria, a sporting nation especially in the round leather game of football has over 54 stadia stretching from the North to the South and East to the West.
Some years ago, in one of the FIFA qualifiers when Nigeria Super Eagles played at Uyo, I was at the post match presser when a journalist asked the Super Eagles handler, Gernot Rohr on what he thinks of the Godswill Akpabio international stadium in terms of quality?
He answered, “The Stadium is not world standard as compared to other FIFA approved pitches in other countries around the world.”
SHOCKED!! Did I hear you right, Rohr?
Apart from the National Stadium, Abuja and the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, the Godswill Akpabio international stadium, Uyo is one if not the only best natural grassed stadium with FIFA approved facilities in Nigeria, I stand to be corrected.
A sports facility and Stadium construction expert, Mr. Ebi Egbe who is the CEO of Monimichelle stated that due to the poor maintenance of facilities used for Sporting activities in the long run by Nigerian Sports Administrators and NFF that Artificial ASTRO turf will be a sure bet for stadia in Nigeria.
Monimichelle are the contractors that built the Samson Siasia stadium in Yenagoa and the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba.
Mr Egbe boasted that, “Even the Super Eagles of Nigeria players won’t say that they cannot play there.” What we did at the two stadia are Geo-tech pitches. I can put my money in the fact that the NFF can take Eagles games there without any players raising an eye brow.”
Most of the Super Eagles players ply their footballing career in Europe with elite league that have natural grass stadium but what is the health implications when these footballers play in the artificial ASTRO or rather synthetic rubber grasses in our stadia in Nigeria whenever the Super Eagles of Nigeria play CAF or FIFA Football matches?
I ask, how many natural turf pitches do we have in Nigeria and what are its advantages over the artificial ASTRO turfs?
Nigerian ex international player, Waidi Akanni opinionated on the artificial turf and advocated on the revamping of stadia in Nigeria to natural grass. He said, “If we cannot go for world class artificial turfs that meet FIFA standards, then my take is that we should go back to natural grass. The health of our players is what we are talking about here and this to me is more important than winning matches and smiling to the bank with monies made from the construction of sub standard pitches.”
In Nigeria as a case study, the sub standard artificial turfs being installed in almost all the stadia are rubber products that get heated up to dangerous level during games in the afternoon and that is a major health concern for the athletes who play on it.
Sadly, presently Nigerian stadia are still using the first generation synthetic pitch technology way back in the 1960s, early 70s and late 80s which has been phased a long time ago from Europe and other parts of the world after its adverse health hazards was discovered in athletes.
Scientific studies done in 2004 by the American journal of Sports medicine over a period of 5 years as regards the comparison of natural grass over artificial turf revealed that 15.2 injuries per 10 games played on artificial turfs against 13.8 injuries per 10 games played on natural grass. This showed a higher rate of susceptibility of injuries of athletes who play on artificial turfed pitches in stadia.
With all these antecedents, it is long overdue that the Sports Federations, NFF and other stakeholders in Sports in Nigeria sit up, do the right things, phase out all the sub standard synthetic pitches in stadia or better still always maintain the surviving natural grass pitches at the Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium in Rivers State, Godswill Akpabio International in Akwa Ibom State, National Stadium in Abuja, Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos State, Stephen Keshi stadium in Delta State and so on.
